The Lion King(Alternate Reality)
by thesoutherncross100
Summary: Dornaus Mason, a Lieutenant Commander in DEVRGU who was forced to resign after sparking controversy for his brutality against insurgents and terrorist fighters, finds himself being employed as Mufasa's bodyguard.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Within his personal quarters of a small apartment, Krieghoff moves several Microsoft documents into a red colored pen drive. Several more could be seen pack snugly in a silver case. He was a whistleblower working for an unknown agency and his job was to uncover the dark secrets of high ranking officials and powerful men and either profit off them through blackmail or bring them down should they refuse to cooperate.

Behind him were two suitcases packed full of personal belongings. A new target has popped up on his radar and this task required him to travel all the way from his hometown of New York to the African Savannah. It was a "big fish" he did not want to miss, for his target happened to be a member of the elite Naval Special Warfare Development Group of the United States Navy, better known as DEVGRU or SEAL Team 6.

If he exposed the truth, not only would Krieghoff put the young Lieutenant Commander's career in jeopardy, he would also put pressure on the United States Government to make radical changes in the way its security units conducted operations.

* * *

 ** _March 13, 2015. 0400 hours Ramadi, Iraq_**

A small force of Navy SEALs from the Naval Special Warfare Development Group prepares to storm a large compound belonging to a high ranking Islamic State Commander and his family. They were part of an AFO or Advance Force Operation unit codenamed AFO Odin and they split into two separate units during the operation; Odin 1-1 and Odin 1-2. Odin 1-1 would provide overwatch while 1-2 would be the one assaulting the gate.

Unlike other operations, their Lieutenant Commander was on the ground to personally supervise the operation. Known affectionately by his men as "Patton II" due to his similarities with the American General when it came to dealing with the enemies; brutal and harsh, his real name was actually Dornaus Mason. To give himself a better view of the surrounding area to better command his men, Dornaus follows Odin 1-1 to the overwatch position and pulls a pair of night vision binoculars.

 **"** **Hold up hold up."** He whispers over the radio as Odin 1-2 stacks up on the compound gate. **"Man in the courtyard, take the shot Blackburn."**

 **"** **Is the guy a combatant sir?"** the sniper asks.

 **"** **Doesn't matter. ROEs allows us to take out anyone within the compound should they prove to be a hindrance to the operation."**

 **"** **But what if he's a civvie?"**

 **"** **Look, whoever this bugger is, he's definitely a sympathizer. We take him out, we don't blow our cover. You got that?"**

 **"** **Yes sir. Sending 'er in."**

 _PHT_

A single bullet to the chest down the possible combatant, allowing Odin 1-2 to move in undetected. The decision to take the shot however, might not have been the best. As the SEALs passed the body, they found out the man targeted by Blackburn was unarmed. He didn't even have a Swiss Army Knife with him. Just a small notebook and a rather expensive Rolex Watch.

Exactly ten minutes into the operation and the men of Odin 1-2 storm the main structure. They surprise everyone as they entered and, per their commander's instruction, shoot all able bodied men who ran. Women and children were left alone because they were clearly non-combatants. The men however, could've charged the operatives or ran to the armory to gear up.

It was the true side of war; one many back home refuse to believe. They thought rules could be placed upon soldiers to make war more "humane". Reality was the men in the field were fighting savages and terrorists who couldn't give a flying fuck about ROEs or the Geneva Convention. They were taught since birth to kill and rid their land of the "infidels" and they didn't care if you were armed or unarmed. Should you find yourself face to face with them, don't expect to survive if you don't have a gun.

Floor to floor the SEALs cleared, kicking down doors and shooting anyone who tried to retaliate. With the power cut, they had a massive advantage in the dark thanks to their night vision goggles. Most of the gunmen they faced who did retaliate fired blindly and their shots were usually off target. At the top floor, the SEALs find their target; Commander Sad al-din, better known as the butcher of Ramadi.

He grabs one of his wives and uses her as a human shield to dissuade the SEALs from shooting, for even Dornaus did not approve of shooting women unless they were confirmed to be combatants. With the help of an infrared scope, the Lieutenant Commander could see the scene unfolding and he runs through the list of options he had available.

Shooting was out of the question. Not only would it result in the human shield being wounded or killed, but it would render the mission a complete waste of resources. Their objective was to capture Sad alive, not put him through a Bin Laden resolution and throw his body into the sea. Fortunately for the men of AFO Odin, Dornaus had personally ordered that the men of Odin 1-2 pack a Taser each for "special needs"

While one SEAL distracts Sad by "arguing" with him, another silently draws his Taser and sneaks behind the commander. As soon as he got into a firing position, he lets loose with 50,000 volts of electricity, which quickly incapacitates the terrorist commander and frees his wife from the danger she was in. Danger over without shooting. Immediately the SEALs restrain and handcuff Sad al-din before escorting him and the rest of the residents out of the compound.

 **"** **Odin 1-1, this is Odin 1-2."** The team leader reported. **"We have the package, proceeding to extraction point."**

 **"** **Solid copy."** Dornaus turns towards his men. **"Pack your gear; we're going back to Bagram."**


	2. The Future King

**Many of you would probably notice as you continue to read that some of the lions/lionesses' ages far exceed what is possible in real life. Unlike most of my stories, where I try my best to cram as much realism into a sci-fi/mythical world, here I shove reality out the window in favor of humanizing the characters, both man and beast. Without further ado, I'd say we get right to the story.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1  
The Future King**

Gunshot reports thunder across the Pridelands, causing many of its residents to raise their heads. Were human hunters trespassing once again? Nope. Just behind a fully air conditioned and powered dome shaped shelter, Dornaus was practicing with his M1 Garand .30 caliber rifle. In a few weeks he would be participating in a local shooting match and the male human needed to hone his proficiency with his M1, which was in decline after he joined the service back in 2010.

Speaking of his service, most would probably wonder why the Lieutenant Commander of an elite unit would be living his days in Africa. Well apparently word got out about his brutality towards his enemies and the bleeding heart portion of the civilian population put pressure on the United States Navy to court martial him. But the Navy didn't want to court martial him.

They wanted to preserve their own face and denied the claims. Instead of a court martial, the officer was asked to resign, which he did. That wasn't the main reason for his emigration to Africa. He had received multiple death threats in his home country and came to Africa to escape his past and start a new life. The locals were also keen to accept the American, preferring to ignore his past and give him a chance.

And that wasn't all. Since he wanted to live out of the spotlight, Dornaus chose a quiet spot somewhere in the African Savannah. That place happened to be the Pridelands, which was under the leadership of a Lion King; Mufasa. The ruler took note of the human's offensive and defensive capabilities and was quite impressed. He could fight an entire pack of Hyenas without issue and was capable of challenging some members of his own pride.

These traits earned him a position within the Pridelands. He became Mufasa's personal bodyguard, accompanying the king wherever he went and protecting him from external and internal threats. Unlike most bodyguards however, he did not go around in a suit and tie. The scorching sun would've killed him within minutes if he wore something like that. Substituting the fancy suit was something better suited for the African Savannah; a hunting outfit.

Whenever he went out, he would have a simple hunting vest over a camouflage hunting shirt. His M1 would serve as a primary arm, slung over his shoulder, while his sidearm, a Sig Sauer P229, was tucked in an IWB holster, away from the prying eyes of the residents or anyone. In situations where there was a higher possibility of threats, like Mufasa giving a speech or during special events, the human would be in his tactical gear, which was tailored after the same one he wore in the service.

Today was one of those days. A presentation of the King's new son was about to happen. Just by name one could tell it was going to be a high stakes situation and the male human took no chances. Once he finished his training session, he tucks eight fully loaded magazines in his Rhodesian Rig along with two pistol magazines. A MK12 SPR was slung in an Over Strong Shoulder carry position and a P226 Legion pistol could be seen on his OWB holster, fitted with a Surefire X300 light.

He arrives just as the ceremony starts and stands behind Mufasa as the King looks over his subjects, who have already begun to arrive. A red billed Hornbill by the name of Zazu lands in front of his master. The "majordomo" bows to his superior, who nods back with a smile. A mandrill/baboon walks through the crowd as the residents make a path for him. He was the monarchy's shaman.

Rafiki as he was known climbs up Pride Rock and is given a hug by the king himself. He then takes the young cub from Sarabi(Mufasa's wife)and slowly walks towards the edge, the youngling in his hands, which were raised and extended. While the ceremony unfolded, Zazu lands on Dornaus' shoulder. The two were actually comrades, working side by side to protect the kingdom from threats both foreign and domestic.

 **"** **If you shit on my equipment again…"** the human scoffed sarcastically. **"I swear my knife will go through your head."**

 **"** **Haha, very funny."** He rolled his eyes. **"Now, onto more serious matters. You notice anything peculiar, human?"**

 **"** **What? The fact that Scar is absent?"**

 **"** **Looks like we're both on the same page."**

 **"** **Trust me, Zazu. He's gonna get a little lecture from his older brother when this is all over."**

 **"** **And a fight is going to break out…"**

 **"** **And I'm going to have to shoot someone…"** he sighs. **"Dammit Scar, won't you just grow up and put jealousy away already?"**

 **"** **I thought you have a less lethal option?"**

 **"** **Why… Yes."** Dornaus tests his Taser before inserting a new cartridge. **"Fifty thousand volts worth of less lethal force."**

As Rafiki returns the cub to Sarabi, Mufasa approaches the two. Like them, he too noticed his brother's absence and wanted to have a word with him. It was a decision neither of them condoned but the king was going to talk to his brother no matter what. Attending a ceremony like this was a matter of necessity for all members of the royal family, even if they had a feud with one another.

 **"** **Zazu, you fly ahead and tell the bugger we're coming."** Dornaus chambers a cartridge into his sidearm. **"I'll escort Mufasa."**

 **"** **Remember Dornaus."** The king spoke. **"Lethal force is authorized only if any of our lives are threatened, understood?"**

 **"** **Yes your honor."**

* * *

In a quiet cave within the Pridelands, Scar toys with his food; a mouse snooping around his private quarters. He dangles the mouse by the tail with his paw and smiles at his defenseless prey, who was trying desperately to escape. The little rodent temporarily escapes the grasp of its captor and clamors around the claw but is quickly recaptured. Now having realized he might potentially lose a meal if he toyed with it further, Scar opens his mouth and dangles the mouse over it.

Just then, a voice calls his name from the mouth of the cave, surprising him and causing him to drop his catch, which runs back into the hole it came from.

 **"** **What do you want?"** the lion asks.

 **"** **I'm here to announce that King Mufasa is on his way."** He answers. **"And you'd better have an excuse for not attending the ceremony this morning."**

 **"** **Well uh, Zazu, you realize you just made me lose my lunch?"**

 **"** **Heh, you'll lose more than that when the king gets through with you.**

 **"** **Oww… Well I'd quiver with fear"**

 **"** **No… Don't look at me that way."**

Zazu attempts to fly away but Scar quickly pounces on him. He throws the bird in his mouth but before he could chew and swallow the majordomo, a gunshot causes him to jolt in shock, unintentionally opening his mouth and spitting the bird out.

 **"** **Touch him again and I won't hold back."** Dornaus holsters his pistol and raises his rifle.

 **"** **Well well well, if that isn't the king's bodyguard."** The lion said in a devilish and cold tone. **"Tell me, how is life as the king's personal… company?"**

 **"** **Better than your sorry existence Scar."**

 **"** **Sad life there, human. Ever thought about challenging his throne?"**

 **"** **Nope."**

 **"** **Or serving under me?"**

 **"** **Forget about it. If you were king, I'd be the first to leave."**

 **"** **Scar…"** a familiar voice came from the entrance.

Everyone turns towards the entrance as Mufasa enters. He had seen the confrontation and wanted a non-violent end to it, even if he had a feud with his younger brother.

 **"** **Dornaus, drop it."** He said.

 **"** **Yes sir."** The human lowers his rifle and steps aside.

 **"** **Whyyy if it isn't my older brother from up high here to mingle with the commons."** Scar spoke snobbishly.

 **"** **Sarabi and I didn't see you at the presentation of Simba."** The king spoke.

 **"** **That was today? Oh I was so wrong… Must've slipped in my mind."**

 **"** **As slippery as your mind is."** Zazu flies into Scar's face. **"As the king's brother you should've been first in line!"**

Scar snaps at the bird, causing him to cower behind the king's legs.

 **"** **I was first in line."** Scar moves his face close to the bird. **"Until the little hairball was born."**

 **"** **That hairball is my son and your future king."** Mufasa reminds his brother.

 **"** **Oh I shall practice my curtsy."**

Scar turns around and prepares to leave but finds himself staring at the bodyguard of his own sibling. Dornaus had his suppressed MK12 raised and the AN/PEQ-15 ATPIAL laser had been switched from IR mode to VIS, which made the green colored laser visible to everyone, including Scar.

 **"** **Don't turn your back on the king, jackass."** He warned.

 **"** **Now there, Dornaus."** The king spoke. **"Remember what I said."**

 **"** **Copy that sir."** The human lowers his rifle.

 **"** **And Scar, don't ever turn your back on me."**

 **"** **Maybe you shouldn't have turned your back on me."**

Mufasa roars and blocks his brother's path. **"Is that a challenge?"**

 **"** **Settle down, settle down. I wouldn't dream of challenging you."**

 **"** **Pity."** Zazu remarked. **"Why not?"**

 **"** **As far as brains go, I have the lion's share. As for brute strength… Well I'll always shadow him."** He said as he slowly walked into the distance.

Zazu lands on the king's shoulder as Dornaus trots beside him. The human shook his head as he glared at the leaving lion. He still remembered that time he challenged Scar to a bare hands all brawn fight and actually came out on top.

 **"** **What am I going to do with him?"** Mufasa questioned his two aides.

 **"** **He'd make a very handsome throw rug."** Zazu suggested.

 **"** **Zazu!"**

 **"** **And just think, whenever he gets dirty you can take him out and beat him."**

The king chuckles. **"What about you, Dornaus? What do you think?"**

 **"** **Taser training target."** He answers. **"The way he twitched the last time I tased him was pretty amusing. We could make a show out of Taser training if we used him as a training target."**

 **"** **Scar's uncontrollable twitch."** Zazu adds. **"That would be a perfect title."**

 **"** **Indeed."**

The three friends chuckled as they slowly made their way back to the "royal palace" where Sarabi awaited her husband.


	3. Krieghoff's Arrival

**Chapter 2  
Krieghoff's Arrival**

Day by day, Mufasa's son Simba grows from a newborn cub to a playful and intelligent young cub. He frequently went around the kingdom with his father or played at the watering hole; usually with his friend Nala, a female cub. The two were close friends and had more than a few misadventures together, mostly due to their curiosity. Once they wandered onto Dornaus' shooting range and were nearly blasted to pieces, saved thanks to the warning sensors installed at the range to prevent accidental shootings.

Today they were once again at the human's house, only this time they were smart enough to avoid taking the easy route. They came through the front gate, which was wide open. Once inside the rather small compound, they curiously inspected the dome shaped structure which was Dornaus' home before moving towards the backyard. As they did, the two lion cubs were surprised by the sound of a shotgun blast.

Both of them hid behind several green colored crates with the words " 430 Cartridges Caliber .30 M2 Ball" inscribed on the sides. Simba peeks out from behind cover and finds his father's bodyguard blasting red colored disks out of the sky with a double barreled Browning Superposed Shotgun. Today the human was off duty since Mufasa wanted to spend some time with his wife and he was indulging in his favorite pastime; Trap shooting.

 **"** **You see that?"** Simba whispers to his friend as the human shoots another clay pigeon down.

 **"** **Yeah."** She answers. **"How does he shoot so well?"**

 **"** **I dunno, maybe we should ask him?"**

 **"** **Sure, you go."**

 **"** **No, you go Simba."**

 **"** **No, you go."**

 **"** **What's going on here?"** Dornaus spoke from behind.

The two lions turn around and find themselves glaring at the human, who was clutching his double barrel shotgun. Simba nudges Nala, who nudges him back. Clearly the two had something they wanted to ask but they couldn't muster the courage to do so. Finally Simba musters the courage and moves in front of his female counterpart.

 **"** **We're curious."** He said. **"How do you blast the disks out of the sky?"**

 **"** **With my shotgun, obviously."** The human answered, raising his eyebrow in confusion.

 **"** **No, I mean how do you shoot them down with one or two bullets?"**

 **"** **One or two bullets?"** Dornaus chuckles at the youngling's naivety. **"No, Simba. I don't shoot them down with one or two bullets, that's something Bob Munden does."**

 **"** **Then?"**

 **"** **I use birdshot. There are three types of shotgun shells; birdshot, buckshot, and slugs. Birdshot contains a large amount of small steel shot, making them ideal for clay target shooting or if you wanted, bird hunting. Buckshot is for self-defense and hunting medium game."**

 **"** **What about slugs?"**

 **"** **That's for hunting big game and defense against charging beasts like buffalo and Rhino."** Dornaus turns towards his home. **"You kids have fun for a bit, I going to town to meet an old friend of mine."**

 **"** **Okay."** The two answered.

* * *

A Ford F-150 Raptor rolls down the streets of Cape Town. In the trunk were two green flat crates which stored Safari Rifles for emergency use on the Savannah. Behind the wheel of this roaring mean machine was Dornaus Mason, Mufasa's personal bodyguard. His role meant nothing in the city but everyone knew him for something else; his research of lion behavior.

The evidence he collected during his stay has helped the local scientists better understand the behavior of wild lions. They could see a transition from isolated prides to a united society with a government. It was clear to the South Africans that lions were slowly becoming sentient, though they still had no idea the lions could speak in English. Dornaus parks his truck outside a small shop and disembarks.

He enters the shop and finds an old friend waiting for him; Anele.

Anele was a dealer in outdoor gear, and firearms, both deactivated and live. Dornaus was here to pick up extra ammunition for his shotgun and 30-06 caliber M1. Of course, he couldn't resist taking a look at the new shipment of deactivated guns arriving at his friend's store. Rare ones popped up from time to time and today was no different.

At the "muzzleloader" section of the deactivated firearms rack was a Kentucky Rifle, dated 1775. It was old, so old that Dornaus took a few steps back in surprise when he saw the gun.

 **"** **Anele."** He said as he handled the antique. **"Please tell me you haven't deactivated this."**

 **"** **I was going to."** The African answered. **"Why?"**

 **"** **Dude, it's too valuable. You should sell it as a working firearm. You have the paperworks right?"**

 **"** **Yeah."**

 **"** **Then?"**

 **"** **It's old, I doubt you can shoot it."**

 **"** **Remember the time when we shot that muzzleloading pistol? It was dated 1745."**

 **"** **I still wouldn't take the risk."**

 **"** **I'll buy it then."**

 **"** **Fine. You want to pay in US Dollars or the local Rand?"**

 **"** **Dollars."**

 **"** **Alright."**

Anele takes the rifle from his friend and wraps it neatly in bubble packing before putting it inside a box. He places it on the counter and takes the payment from his friend. With no idea of the rifle's value, he simply charges his friend 400 dollars, quite a steal for an antique in possible firing condition.

 **"** **And by the way, friend."** He said as he placed the cash in the register. **"How are you earning dollars when you're no longer on the US Government payroll?"**

 **"** **I work for the local researchers."** The American answered. **"They pay me to gather research data due to my close relationship with the pride."**

 **"** **How much."**

 **"** **Confidential."**

 **"** **Fine."**

 **"** **Anyways, before I go."** Dornaus throws a few more hundred bucks his friend's way. **"That's for the ammo I'm taking."**

 **"** **Ah yes, your resupply. Go ahead."**

Two crates of ammunition and an old antique left the shop with Dornaus as he drove back to the Pridelands. Unbeknownst to him, Krieghoff was in Cape Town as well and he had spotted the former officer as he drove off. He tails Dornaus in his rental car but male human quickly loses his pursuer with the help of defensive and offensive driving techniques he picked up during training.


	4. A Rising Threat

**Chapter 3  
A Rising Threat**

Another beautiful day dawns in the Pridelands. Today Mufasa was taking his son on a tour of the kingdom and he wanted someone to escort him. That someone was Dornaus, who happened to be putting a new outfit through field testing. He got rid of the M1 rifle and hunting vest altogether and only wore a simple black shirt and pants. He still carried his Sig Sauer P229 in his IWB holster though; he deemed a firearm of sort to be a necessary arm to supplement his Taser.

At least on the outside, the human looked like a visitor touring the kingdom while doing research on wildlife behavior(he was clutching a DSLR camera). Mufasa and Simba head up Pride Rock to have a little father and son talk while Dornaus stood behind, making sure no one tried to sneak up on them. Well someone did, and his name was Krieghoff.

 **"** **Ah, Dornaus Mason."** He said. **"The military commander known for his brutality in war."**

 **"** **That's the nature of war, whoever you are."** The former serviceman spun around. **"What do you want?"**

 **"** **A monthly payment of fifty thousand dollars. If not, then I'll leak the Navy documents to the press and you'll be in deep shit."**

 **"** **We'll see about that."** Dornaus fires his Taser at the whistleblower and incapacitates him. **"Looks like somebody's gonna spend a long time in lockup."**

Dornaus signals to Mufasa to inform him that he was momentarily departing. Once he got an approval from the king, the human applies handcuffs to Krieghoff and drags him back to a small shack within his compound. It wasn't a terribly big shack but it was large enough to be converted into a prison cell. And while it may seem to be constructed of nothing but mud and dirt on the outside, the male human wasn't dumb enough to make a cell with just that.

He reinforced the walls with steel beams he bought from the local construction store. The cell was the strongest building within the compound and no one could escape it, not unless they had a bomb. Even the floor was reinforced with a layer of steel plating underneath to prevent captured prisoners from digging themselves free. The door was made from RHA steel with similar thickness to that of a WW2 Tiger's frontal armor.

Amenities within the cell included a toilet, sink, and very basic bed. It wasn't comfortable but that was what the former serviceman could offer, given the fact that he didn't want too much development in what was considered wildlands.

 **"** **Enjoy your stay, asshole."** He said. **"I have an appointment."**

 **"** **Get me out of here, you bastard!"** the man warns. **"If not I'll call the cops."**

 **"** **With what?"**

Dornaus instructs his prisoner to look out the window on the right side of the cell shack. He does so and watches in horror as his satellite phone was shot to pieces. As for his rental truck, well it was towed away with the help of Anele, who had come to claim the truck for the rental company after his friend told him he found it abandoned in the Savannah.

The arms dealer had no idea of the prisoner and fails to hear his screams as he drove off with the last possible line of hope for the whistleblower. All that remained on the compound was the Ford F-150 Raptor but the keys to that vehicle was on Dornaus' person at all times and the vehicle was stored in a garage far away from the cell. On the bright side, he did have an endless flow of water and food would be provided 24/7, though the meals aren't going to taste like anything in the restaurants.

In the meantime, Dornaus has rejoined Mufasa and Simba. Due to the earlier encounter, he was back in his tactical gear. As the king listened to the morning report by his majordomo Zazu, the human scans the area with the scope of his rifle. The crosshairs stop at the elephant graveyard as the silhouette of something emerges. Dornaus does rough range estimates and compensates for the bullet drop.

 _PHT_

A 5.56 caliber bullet shrieks out from the barrel of the suppressed MK12 and shrieks towards its target 300 yards away. Down in the elephant graveyard, a Hyena attempts to get a view of the Pridelands but is killed when the bullet penetrates his head. The other Hyenas gather round their fallen brother. The human in the Pridelands had shot him.

Mufasa, Simba, and Zazu glare at the human as he lowers his rifle. They couldn't see the Hyena from this distance and had no idea what the bodyguard fired at.

 **"** **What was that for?"** Mufasa questions.

 **"** **Hyena head."** He answers. **"Saw one poking out from the bone yard."**

 **"** **Are you sure it was a Hyena?"**

No response was needed. Barely seconds after Mufasa finished his words, a mole emerges from the ground and informs him about an impending attack by the Hyenas who owned the elephant graveyard. Several skirmishes have already happened between the lions and Hyenas in the past and their relationship with one another was icky at best.

 **"** **Zazu, take Simba home."** He said. **"Dornaus, let's go."**

 **"** **Roger that sir."** the bodyguard answers.

 **"** **Can't I come with you, dad?"** Simba asks.

 **"** **No, you will stay son."**

 **"** **But…"**

 **"** **It's too dangerous."**

 **"** **Your honor."** Dornaus remarks with a little too much glee as he inspects a Model 308-1 Napalm Grenade. **"I'd say we make ourselves smoked Hyena."**

 **"** **Calm down there, Dornaus. We're going to try diplomacy. If that doesn't work then only would we switch to lethal confrontation."**

 **"** **Copy that."**

* * *

Well… Maybe Mufasa spoke a little too early. Barely two seconds after both sides met up with each other, the situation turned ugly. Dornaus couldn't even fire his gun and had to resort to hand-to-hand fighting like the rest of the lions. But fighting Hyenas with bare hands was no issue for the human. He had fought off packs of them before and fighting them were like kicking puppies, literally.

Several of them were kicked off the edge, back into the elephant graveyard. With the immediate threat to himself taken care of, Dornaus draws his Sig Sauer P226 pistol and fires at the Hyenas in defense of the lions. He manages three kills before the Hyenas decided enough was enough and they dispersed. But the human wasn't done yet, oh no. He still wanted to see the world burn and now was the best time.

He tosses every single one of his Model 308-1 Napalm grenades into the elephant graveyard. Everyone watched as fire engulfed the sea of bones, taking the lives of many Hyenas. Mufasa was surprised; he had never expected his bodyguard to be this cold. Not like he was complaining. Sure Dornaus might be a bit over the top at times when it came to violence but one thing was clear; the Hyenas wouldn't be attacking the pride for a long time.


	5. Confrontation In The Bone Yard

**Chapter 4  
Confrontation In The Bone Yard**

Late afternoon rolled about and with the Hyena threat gone, Mufasa and Dornaus continued their tour of the Kingdom once again. This time they went without the young ones since they had to discuss some private matters regarding the security of the state. When they were returning from the battle, the human suggested that the royal family contemplate building a wall around the bone yard to prevent intruders from coming in.

No it won't be a "Trump Wall". He was thinking about a wall made from strong enough materials which was high enough that the Hyenas and their comrades couldn't climb over. Another suggestion of his was to have a small squad, be they human rangers or residents of the Pridelands, patrolling the border and dissuading border jumpers from illegally entering.

These ideas were sound but Mufasa didn't quite have the resources. They could certainly recruit locals for the job but that meant Dornaus had to stay in Cape Town for a few days to talk with a Private Security Firm, leaving the royals vulnerable to attack whenever they left their quarters. Building a wall was out of the question. Resources wasn't an issue, the problem was usable resources.

All the trees in the Pridelands are by law, not allowed to be chopped down for the sake of preserving the beauty of the land. Large enough boulders were hard to move without heavy equipment and were quite a rare sight. Constructing the wall out of mud and clay was the only viable option but it would take a fairly long time to construct unless Dornaus ventured into the city to hire construction workers.

 **"** **Hmm… Dornaus."** The lion spoke. **"You ever learnt the art of setting traps?"**

 **"** **That's part of ambush training."** He answers. **"What? You want me to mine the entire border? That's not possible."**

 **"** **Why so?"**

 **"** **Local laws prohibit me from owning explosives. I have guns because I have a license. And my grenades were err… "Given" to me by a good friend of mine."**

 **"** **Our laws don't."**

 **"** **No, I'm talking about the laws of South Africa."**

 **"** **Well you have any other ideas?"**

 **"** **All of em require that I go to the city. But let me tell you this, border patrols are our best bet. Simple, efficient, and we can set it up in the shortest amount of time."**

 **"** **You do have a point. Tell you what, you go back for now. I'll think about it for a bit."**

 **"** **Just tell me when you're ready."** The human salutes his commander-in-chief. **"I'll be off sir."**

 **"** **Carry on."**

The human departs his client and heads back towards his shelter. En route, he noticed Simba and Nala taking a stroll. They were being escorted by Zazu, who was acting on orders of Sarabi to escort the youngsters as they toured the watering hole.

 **"** **Where are you going, sir Dornaus?"** Simba asks curiously.

 **"** **No need to call me "sir", young prince."** He chuckled. **"Just call me Dornaus or if you really wanted to, Uncle Dornaus."**

 **"** **Sire."** Zazu pipes up. **"Care to take over escort duty? They're a little dandy to handle."**

 **"** **Nah, I'm busy. Besides, you shouldn't get into too much trouble if you stay within the borders."**

 **"** **Busy with what?"**

 **"** **I have a prisoner to tend to."**

All three of them glared at the human as he walked away. Was he talking about the man he handcuffed while escorting Mufasa and Simba on Pride Rock? Neither of them were in the mood to learn more about the so called "prisoner", they just wanted to continue on their merry way. Back in the compound, Krieghoff lays on the floor. His cell might've had a fan and ventilation slits but the temperature was getting unbearable.

He was sweating and his clothes were soaked. And the pipe which fed water into his cell did not have a cooling system like the rest of the compound's pipes, meaning the water coming in was heated by the sun. And in case you were wondering, the water's temperature did drop… when night came. Meanwhile in the dome of the compound, Dornaus switched on the air conditioning and made himself coffee.

As he sat down, the human began to think. No he wasn't thinking of the wall or border patrol. He was thinking whether or not he should put a bullet through Krieghoff's head and end his torment. No one came out here unless he called them to and he could easily chop the body to pieces and burry it in separate places. Or he could burn it and leave the ashes in the fire pit, allowing the wind to send it somewhere else when it picked up speed.

On the living room table was a Colt Delta Elite 10mm pistol. Dornaus picks up the pistol and carefully inspects the gun, keeping his finger clear of the trigger. He could make it quick for his prisoner and then just move on with life. Besides, Krieghoff was the only one possessing information about his brutality. With him gone, no one else would be able to testify against him with real information.

Just then, an alarm sounds in the dome. Lunch time for the prisoner. The human prepares a quick meal made up of leftover salad and zebra flesh from yesterday's hunt. Once he was done cooking, he heads over to the cell and puts the dish into the cell via a small slit in the door.

 **"** **Leftover meat and salad…"** Krieghoff sighs. **"I'm expecting I'll be eating a lot more of this."**

 **"** **You're on the right idea."** His captor responds. **"Look on the bright side. At least I'm decent enough to provide three meals per day."**

 **"** **That tells me you still have a little bit of sense left in you."**

 **"** **Eat your meal. Don't expect me to entertain your chat sessions every day. I have more important matters."**

Just then, Mufasa appears at the gate. He looked worried and something didn't seem right. Dornaus approaches his commander in chief.

 **"** **Something wrong?"** he asks.

 **"** **Zazu has been shot back, literally."** He said. **"The young ones are in danger."**

 **"** **At the watering hole?"**

 **"** **No, the elephant graveyard."**

When he heard the words "elephant graveyard", Dornaus' heart froze for a second. How could the two have snuck off under Zazu's watchful eyes and ended up in that god awful place. He racks the slide on his Colt Delta Elite and engages the safety before holstering it. There was no time to get a rifle, they had to go now. Dornaus mounts his commander in chief. Travelling on fours would definitely be quicker than twos.

Meanwhile in the elephant graveyard, Simba and Nala were desperately trying to escape Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed, a trio of Hyenas hell bent on making a meal out of them. As they climbed up a bone pile, Nala slips and the Hyenas close in. At this moment, something overcame the young prince. He turns around and runs back for her. In defense, he claws Shenzi, scarring the Hyaenidae in the right cheek.

The move enrages the matriarch of the three and the rage fuels her lust for the two. A full stomach didn't matter to her anymore; she just wanted the two dead. Simba and Nala manage to surmount the pile of bones and make it to the other side. Despite this, they were still being closely followed by Shenzi and her pack of Hyenas. And things were about to get a lot worse for the two cubs.

Just as they thought they were out of the woods, the two found themselves at a dead end within the cave. The Hyenas close in, licking their chops in delight. Simba tries his best to intimidate the three with his roar but the little one still lacked his father's deep voice, and his roar was more of a cat territorial snarl than a real roar. All hope seemed lost for Simba and his friend but on his second go, his roar sounded a lot more different than his first.

No, he didn't change his voice using the power of magic. He just happened to roar the same time as his father, who has arrived at the battleground. The king of the Pridelands manhandles the three, literally. Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed stood little chance against the bigger and more powerful predator. That being said, Banzai almost got a chance to bite down on Mufasa's neck.

In the midst of the chaos, he somehow avoids the lion's eye and sneaks around him. But before he could strike, a gunshot report thunders through the area, causing Simba and Nala to jolt and blink their eyes. The world around Banzai slows down and the sound slowly begins to disappear. He turns his head on Dornaus, who had his gun raised, and then looked at his body.

To his horror, blood was pouring out from his chest. Shenzi and Ed quickly took note of their comrade in peril. The Hyena attempts a second charge but Dornaus fires again, his unblinking eyes continuing to give the same cold death-stare. A bullet casing makes a distinctive pinging sound as it struck the ground. Another wound in Banzai's chest and blood quickly blooms out.

Now the life completely drained from the Hyena and he slumps forward. His eyes were wide open but his soul was gone. Simba and Nala were at a loss for words. This was the first time they had seen the human bodyguard kill anyone, and they got to see him kill with a pistol he rarely carried; his Colt Delta Elite 10mm. Shenzi and Ed attempt to avenge their comrade's death but Mufasa pounces on them and pins their bodies under his front legs.

 **"** **Nobody attacks the king."** The human spoke coldly as he lowers his pistol **"And now I can say with full certainty. Nobody survives a shot or two from a 10mm caliber pistol."**

Shenzi clearly wanted to respond but she held back and forced herself to smile sheepishly as Mufasa stared down at them. And just in time for the little victory over the Hyenas, Zazu lands near the king. Instead of a smile however, Mufasa frowns at his Majordomo, expressing his displeasure over his neglect of the cubs. The lion then turns his attention back towards the two surviving Hyenas.

He gives them a warning and, like a ruler with a conscience, he sets them free. They were after all visitors to the Hyenas' territory. Dornaus raises his pistol on the two, silently warning them not to do anything rash or they would suffer the same fate as Banzai. Shenzi really wanted to avenge the death of her second-in-command but held back.

Nothing good would come if she attacked now. Her foe had a gun and he was backed up by a lion who had just dominated her and her little pack. She exits the cave, taking Ed with her. With the threat over, Dornaus performs a brass check on his pistol before engaging the safety. He then holsters it and rejoins Mufasa, Zazu, and the cubs as they made their way back towards Pride Rock.

 **"** **Dornaus."** Mufasa pipes up.

 **"** **Orders."** The human answers.

 **"** **You and Zazu escort Nala home, I want to teach my son a lesson."**

 **"** **Right away."** He turns towards Nala and Zazu. **"Let's go. And Simba, best of luck to you."**

Without a word being spoken, the female cub and her two escorts continued their journey home, leaving Simba and his father behind. His father calls him once again and the young cub starts walking in his direction. As he did, he found himself stepping into the paw print of his father; his paw was tiny compared to the print. It was at this moment the cub realized his mistake.

He was still too young to be running off without an escort and come to think of it, the encounter with the Hyenas nearly got him killed. Well he would've been killed had Zazu not been launched from the geyser. Simba walks up to his father, overcome with guilt and his head lowered. From the looks of it, the youngling was expecting a rant and most likely a good spanking.

 **"** **Simba, I'm very disappointed in you."** The king spoke.

 **"** **I know…"** his son replied.

 **"** **You could've been killed! You deliberately disobeyed me! And what's worse, you put Nala in danger."**

 **"** **I was just trying to be brave like you."**

 **"** **I'm only brave when I have to be. Simba, being brave doesn't mean you go looking for trouble."**

 **"** **But you're not scared of anything."**

 **"** **I was today."**

 **"** **You were?"**

 **"** **Yes, I thought I might lose you."**

 **"** **Oh… I guess even kings get scared huh?"**

Mufasa nods slightly.

 **"** **But you know what?"** his son continues.

 **"** **What?"** he asked.

 **"** **I think those Hyenas were even scared."**

The king chuckles slightly. **"Cause nobody messes with your dad! Come here you!"**

Without warning, Simba found himself being given a "thai style head massage" by his father. He manages to break free and tackles Mufasa to the ground. Before they knew what was going on, father and son found themselves playing together somewhere within the Pridelands. The young cub tackles his father onto the ground once again and bites his ear.

 **"** **Dad, we're pals right?"** he asks.

 **"** **Right."** The king answered.

 **"** **And we'll always be together right?"**

 **"** **Simba let me tell you something my father told me."** Mufasa looks up at the stars shining down from the night sky. **"Look at those stars. The great kings of the past look down on us from those stars."**

 **"** **Really?"**

 **"** **Yes. So whenever you feel alone, just remember that those kings will always be there to guide you, and so will I."**

For a moment, father and son spoke no further words as they silently star gazed. What was supposed to be a talk about discipline was now a bonding moment for father and son. Little did they know however, they did not have much time left to spend with each other.


	6. Scar's Army

**Chapter 5  
Scar's Army**

After the encounter with the Hyenas, Dornaus began to realize the importance of packing a sidearm with a lot of stopping power during his escort missions. His main sidearm when decked out(in tactical gear)was a Sig Sauer MK25 pistol, which fired a 9mm round. It was decent against human targets but lacked the stopping power to down most wildlife in the Savannah. Sure he had a rifle but a sidearm was his backup in case the rifle failed or ran out of ammunition, and a sidearm lacking in stopping power would put him at a disadvantage.

His Sig Sauer P229 on the other hand did have the stopping power but the only holster he had which fitted the gun was an IWB holster, not ideal when kitted out in gear. The only other option available was his Colt Delta Elite, and after having firsthand experience in stopping a threat with said pistol, the human decides to start carrying it in his UM92II belt holster.

Every morning he would train with his new sidearm to increase his proficiency and decrease his draw time. The most important aspect of using this particular firearm was making the routine of disengaging the manual safety become muscle memory since the gun would not function unless the safety was disengaged. He could carry it with the hammer down or with an empty chamber but Dornaus didn't like to walk around with an unloaded(in his mind)gun and decocking the gun on a loaded chamber was dangerous.

To make his training a little more "realistic", the targets he fired at were steel silhouettes of Hyenas, bought from Anele who had them custom made since he felt he could sell them as Savannah themed steel ringers. A side effect of the daily training was that Krieghoff wouldn't be killed by boredom. One of the windows in his cell shack gave him a view of the shooting range and he could at least see a military man in action.

Of course, the increase in 10mm consumption meant Dornaus had to place them in his monthly resupply list. He decides to focus his monthly resupply to his primary firearms' ammunition to cut down cost. They included 5.56x45mm(both M885 and MK262), 10mm Auto, 30-06 Springfield, and 12 gauge. Before the human only had a few boxes of ammunition for his new sidearm but now he had fifty cans, each containing no less than 500 rounds.

 **"** **Dornaus!"** Krieghoff shouts from his cell. **"When are you going to set me free?"**

 **"** **No fucking idea."** The former serviceman spins around, handgun holstered. **"Because I can't be sure you won't be a loudmouth."**

 **"** **So those secrets are true…"**

 **"** **What secrets?"**

 **"** **The fact that you deliberately ordered the shooting of the innocent man."**

 **"** **Like I said, it's the nature of war."**

 **"** **If word gets out, I'm pretty sure the people in America wouldn't be pleased."**

 **"** **Only bleeding hearts like you."**

 **"** **What bleeding hearts?"** Simba asks.

Surprised by the cub's arrival, the human turns around. Looks like Simba was taking a stroll again and like before, Nala was with him, only this time they stayed well within the borders.

 **"** **Confidential matters, young prince."** He smiles.

 **"** **Riiight."** Krieghoff pipes up from his cell.

 **"** **Who's that?"** the young prince asked.

 **"** **Krieghoff, a trespasser."**

 **"** **More like a truth seeker."** The whistleblower corrects. **"And Dornaus, mind I remind you that sooner or later the truth will prevail?"**

 **"** **You are the only person with enough evidence to put me on military court. Issue is, I burnt your documents and wiped your laptop clean."**

 **"** **Lies, I have a password."**

 **"** **Oh, how dumb. You do realize I have ways to crack the codes right?"**

 **"** **Prove it."**

Dornaus takes the ruggedized laptop from his prisoner's bag and switches it on. With the code already cracked at this point, he simply keys in the password and bingo, the startup menu pops up on display. To further prove his words, he shows every individual folder to Krieghoff, including the recycle bin, which was empty. The former serviceman then walks away with the laptop.

He wanted to add an extra layer of security in case Krieghoff managed to get access to his laptop. Dornaus changes the password to something even he can't remember and throws the laptop back in the bag. In the meantime, Scar has snuck off under his brother's nose and had arrived in the elephant graveyard. Unbeknownst to anyone in the royal family, the estranged younger brother of the king was secretly on good terms with the Hyenas.

Before Simba's birth, Scar was destined to be the heir to the throne as per the laws of the monarchy, which stated that should the king and queen have no children, the closest relative of the king would become the heir to the throne. That closest relative was Scar, who was Mufasa's younger brother. But with Simba's birth, Scar's hopes of becoming king were destroyed.

Even so, the lion wanted to become king and he would do anything to achieve his goal, including killing his own brother. But to achieve this, Scar needed support and he figured he would do something "historical"; the coexistence of lions and Hyenas. To ease his task of dethroning Mufasa, Scar decides to enlist the help of Shenzi and Ed, the two survivors of the encounter with the king and his bodyguard.

They were hungry for revenge, Shenzi especially, and the two would love nothing more than to destroy the human, his commander-in-chief, and probably the young prince too if given the chance. When Scar stumbled upon the two survivors, Shenzi was still glaring at the spend casing on the ground while grumbling about lions and their "god awfulness". Ed on the other was err… Biting his own leg?

 **"** **Surely we lions aren't that bad."** Scar pipes up with his signature dark tone.

 **"** **Oh, it's just you Scar."** The matriarch of the pack responded. **"We thought Mufasa was back."**

 **"** **I heard about your loss… My condolences."**

 **"** **Appreciated… Dammit! If he and his pals weren't snooping around all the time we'd be running the entire Savannah."**

 **"** **Hmm, have you ever thought about… Killing him?"**

 **"** **I'd be more happy if his human bodyguard was dead but yeah, we've thought about it. Well, me and Banzai anyways. Ed was… Usually stuck in his little world."**

 **"** **Well then… I guess we're on the same page."**

Scar moves himself onto a tall ledge within the elephant graveyard as the two Hyenas watch on. Without warning, a green light shines through the area, revealing hundreds of Hyenas sitting on ledges behind the two. Looks like a large number of them had survived the sea of napalm unleashed upon them by Dornaus during their first confrontation with the pride.

A dark tune starts to play in the background as the king's brother moved down from his ledge. The ground begins to crack and steam shoots out. It was the beginning of a temporary march anthem improvised by Scar with the help of Mother Nature. For the first time in a long while, the Hyenas see a glimmer of light, a hope that they too might live in the Pridelands.

All of the Hyenas begin to march as their new "dictator" stood on his post. For a bystander, it looked like a scene straight out of a Nazi victory parade. The Hyenas were marching in formation and they turned their heads to glare at Scar, their dictator. From his ledge, Scar grinned. He now had an army of his own, which he could command in the event his little plot was discovered and a civil war broke out.

 **"** **We shall kill Mufasa… And Simba too."** The new leader of the Hyenas does a head cutting gesture with his claw. **"Follow me! As king, I'll make sure none of you ever get hungry again!"**

Dark laugher could be heard as Scar and his followers celebrate in anticipation of the attempt to overthrow the king. Soon all of the Pridelands would belong… To Them.


	7. Death Of A King

**Chapter 6  
Death Of A King**

Dawn the very next day. Scar had just woken up from his peaceful slumber and he wasn't in a good mood. Yesterday's meeting with his army might've been great and exhilarating but the lion just remembered something or rather someone; Dornaus. Why him? Because Dornaus was the only individual who could very easily shoot his plans to pieces, literally. The human's awesome firepower alone could destroy large numbers of Scar's Hyenas and he had the backing of a small security team in the event the compound was attacked.

They would arrive by Gatling armed choppers, decked out and ready to fight a full-fledged war. No one could survive that, not unless they themselves could fire back with guns of their own. There's a reason why Dornaus' enemies; the Islamic State Militants, carried guns instead of swords. Scar had to get rid of the human without actually killing him but despite claiming to have the "lion's share" of brainpower, the king's younger brother didn't have an idea.

Fortunately or rather unfortunately, he needn't come up with an idea of his own. Rafiki had an appointment with the human since he was at the final stages of perfecting the potion of eternal life, which would allow anyone who used it to live forever. They wouldn't die of natural causes, effectively breaking the circle the life. That being said, it did not grant them immunity and one could still be killed even if they had taken the potion.

Scar was glad that the mandrill did what he did, for the appointment would mean taking Dornaus away from his commander-in-chief. Based on an educated guess, the lion figured the human, who was going to meet the shaman on foot, would not return till sundown, meaning he had ample time to put his act into plan. He heads over to meet Simba, who was again at the bodyguard's compound.

The two trusted each other and had a deep bond with one another. Simba saw the human as a sibling while Dornaus saw the young cub as a relative. When the younger brother of the king arrived at the compound, he noticed the human slipping his Colt Delta Elite into his new G-Code XST RTI holster, which had a desert digital color. It didn't bother Scar that the human had a new piece of equipment, what bothered him was the fact that Dornaus started carrying his big gun around.

It shattered his thought about catching the human without his rifle and overwhelming him with a single pack. The 10mm had a lot more stopping power and was indeed a favorite among human hunters as a cartridge for their backup gun. Dornaus notices Scar walking up to the compound and he wraps his hand around the pistol grip. He pushes the thumb drive button and flips the thumb strap forwards but does not draw the gun.

 **"** **What do you want, Scar?"** he asked as he defensively positions himself between Scar and the young cub.

 **"** **Oh nothing."** The lion answers. **"I just wanted to take Simba for a walk."**

 **"** **Absolutely not!"**

 **"** **Now there, Simba is my relative too y'know?"**

 **"** **And I'm supposed to trust you, Scar?"**

 **"** **Come on, Dornaus. I might be a thorn to Mufasa's side but who in their right mind would want to kill a little one like Simba? Just think about it."**

 **"** **You and Hitler share a lot in common y'know?"**

 **"** **But I'm not as evil as he was, right? Have you seen me despise or discriminate anyone? Or show my true intentions?"**

 **"** **Fine!"** Dornaus mounts his ATV. **"But be warned, if anything happens to Simba, you'll pay dearly."**

 **"** **Yes sir…"** Scar glares at the human's vehicle. **"You're… Riding in that?"**

 **"** **I'm not dumb enough to walk from here all the way to Rafiki's place. This thing will get me there and back in about 25 to 30 minutes depending on the conditions. That's not counting the time I'll spend there."**

 **"** **When will you be back?"** Simba asks.

 **"** **Probably by sundown."**

The ATV's engine roars to life as Dornaus left his compound, headed in the direction of the forest where Rafiki stayed. Back at the gate, Scar and Simba begin their trek. The brother of Mufasa grins. He just got the human off his side, time for phase two of the operation. What operation? Well Scar and the Hyenas have planned to use a massive herd of wildebeest to create a stampede and crush the two.

And their choice of location couldn't be any better; a canyon. Its steep walls would be very difficult even for Mufasa to mount and the king would have to carry his son up as well. Meanwhile at the ravine's edge, Shenzi and Ed were waiting for Scar's command to begin the stampede, though the two were already starting to get hungry just by looking at the wildebeest.

 **"** **Take it easy Ed."** Shenzi notices her comrade drooling at the sight of grazing wildebeest. **"We have to wait for Scar's command."**

Down in the Canyon, Scar orders his nephew to wait on a boulder while he went back to get Mufasa, much to the young cub's disappointment. Earlier he had been promised by his uncle that there would be a surprise awaiting him at the canyon. Now there was more waiting. As Scar left the canyon, Simba quietly awaits his father's arrival. He had no idea a huge stampede was about to bear down on him.

A chameleon catches the cub's attention and he begins to follow it. He tries to perfect his roar but fails to scar the lizard in any way. Suddenly the lizard runs away, much to the surprise of the young cub. The ground slowly starts shaking and something didn't seem right in Simba's mind. He turns around and finds, much to his horror that a massive herd of wildebeests were flooding towards him.

Instinct told the youngling to run and he took off, running away as fast as he could as the stampede closed in. Nearby, Mufasa and Zazu were taking a stroll when Scar came to inform them about a stampede within the canyon and the grave danger Simba was in. Being the only one with the ability to fly, Zazu moves ahead and dives down into the valley. He finds the cub dangling from a tree and frantically returns to warn his commander-in-chief.

Concerned for the wellbeing of his son, Mufasa charges down into the canyon to retrieve his son as Scar and Zazu watch on. The bird has a panic attack and attempts to fly back to get help but Scar thwacks him against a rock and knocks him unconscious. He stands on a ledge and watched as Mufasa retrieves his son and orders him to climb up another ledge while he took the one he came down from.

Due to his smaller size, the cub reaches the top first and watched as his father surmounted the rather steep ledge. He then looks back at the carnage, failing to see Mufasa in distress. At the top of the ledge, the king finds himself unable to pull up and asked his brother for help. Scar wasn't in the mood to help his brother and instead gives him a cold grin. With the last words "Long Live The King" he sends his sibling back down into the stampede.

While Simba did not notice his uncle's action, he did see his father falling to his doom. Now the roles were reversed, with the father in danger and the cub in great worry. He runs back into the canyon and was quickly blinded by the dust, which was left behind by the stampeding wildebeest. As he searches for his father, a wildebeest surprises him. Must've been late for the stampede…

The cub continues searching, still blinded by the dust. Eventually he did find his father, only he had been a little too late. The king lay on his side, his body motionless and his eyes closed.

 **"** **Dad?"** Simba spoke, still in shock after what happened. **"Dad, c'mon."**

Simba nudges his father, no response. He does it again, still no response. Finally, he tries the old trick of nibbling his father's ear, which had awaked him up from his slumber multiple times in the past. Unlike previous times however, the king never moved a muscle. He just lay there, motionless. His soul has left his body and what remained was nothing more than an empty shell.

For the first time in his life, the cub felt fear and hopelessness. He screams for help, hoping to find someone who could revive his father. It would really be great if Dornaus showed up to help, or at least that was what the youngling thought. He cuddles under his father's paw for comfort as he waited for someone to appear. Through the mist, a silhouette emerges.

He was Scar, Mufasa's younger brother. Deep down the younger sibling knew who was responsible but on the outside, he maintained a saddened expression, as if mourning the loss of the great king. He cuddles the young prince, trying to "comfort" the little one. However the main thing Scar wanted was to get rid of Simba, but he didn't want to waste his energy killing the poor thing.

Instead he instructs the cub to run then orders Shenzi and Ed to run him down and kill him. The two Hyenas pursue Simba, who runs upon seeing the approaching threat. Eventually he gets cornered on a ledge and the Hyenas lick their chops in delight. Unexpectedly, the young one takes a leap of faith and eludes them once again. Simba falls down the ledge and disappears through a forest of thorns. It was similar to the dried thorny forest Littlefoot hid in while hiding from Sharptooth in the film "The Land Before Time", only much bigger.

* * *

Thunders roared in the sky as lightning flashed. A heavy downpour drenches Dornaus as he returns home after a long day with Rafiki. The two have successfully completed the potion of eternal life and both of them have consumed it. The human was still oblivious of his commander-in-chief's passing and he looked forward to sharing the new concoction with the king.

As he rolls up to his compound, he was greeted by Zazu. The hornbill looked deeply saddened and he was struggling to hold his emotion.

 **"** **Something wrong, Zazu?"** he asks.

 **"** **Sire…"** the bird said in a mournful voice. **"I regret to inform you but… The king… is dead. And so is his son."**

 **"** **Haha, very funny Zazu. You know it's not appropriate to pull jokes like these right?"**

 **"** **But I'm not…"**

 **"** **Come again?"**

 **"** **I'm not joking, Dornaus."**

When Zazu finished his words, the human's heart sank. His hand started shaking and he glares at the cell which contained Krieghoff. Did the whistleblower somehow manage to poison the water with cyanide?

 **"** **Who found them?"** he questions the bird.

 **"** **Scar."** Zazu answers. **"And I regret to inform you but… He is now king."**

 **"** **Where did he find them?"**

 **"** **At the canyon."**

 **"** **How did Mufasa die?"**

 **"** **A stampede."**

 **"** **And how the fuck does the king end up in a fucking stampede?"**

 **"** **He tried to save his son."**

 **"** **And how does Simba end up in the stampede?"** Something clicked in the human's mind and his blood starts boiling. **"Scar… You son of a…"**

 **"** **Dornaus, do not act rashly."**

 **"** **Leave the compound, I'll be with you shortly."**

 **"** **Sire…"**

 **"** **LEAVE!"**

 **"** **Yes sir."**


	8. Exile

**Chapter 7  
Exile**

With adrenaline surging through his body, Dornaus gears up for combat. Usually when the time came for him to gear up, the human left his body armor behind since there was no threat from bullets. This time however, he went full in. He donned his Threat Level V Dragonskin Armor vest and stuffed his Rhodesian Rig full of extra magazines. Slung in an Over Strong Shoulder carry position was a weapon he never expected to touch again.

It was a HK416 D10RS carbine, which he had gotten with the help of his friend Dixon, the owner of a Magnum Security, a local Private Military Company. The gun was tailored after the gun he(Dornaus)carried when he was in the service, which meant it was fitted with an AAC suppressor and EOTech holographic sight with magnifier. It also had a KAC Verticle Foregrip and an AN/PEQ-15 ATPIAL.

And unlike during escort duty, the human wore a FAST Helmet, which had a Gen 3 NOD mounted. He also wore Mechanix gloves and had a SEAL Strike knife and sheath attached to his webgear. His pistol and rig remained the same; Colt Delta elite in a RTI belt holster. For reasons unknown even to the human, he throws spare ammunition magazines, his Inmarsat Satellite Phone and survival supplies into a Kelty MAP 3500 backpack and takes it along for the trip.

Now fully geared for combat, Dornaus proceeds to leave his dome shelter. Before leaving the compound, he releases Krieghoff, having realized the whistleblower could do some work covering Scar's soon to be dictatorship.

 **"** **Is this supposed to mean something?"** he asks.

 **"** **I figured a whistleblower like you could do some work covering the daily life of animals under a dictatorship."** The former serviceman answers. **"That's what you people do, right?"**

 **"** **And what about that payment? Eh?"**

 **"** **I'll pay you once we get rid of Scar. Trust me, he's a lot worse than I am."**

Dornaus leaves the compound, gun in hand and ready for action. For a moment, Krieghoff stood near the door of his cell. He then grabs his camera and notebook and begins setting up shop in the dome structure. With his computer disabled with an unknown password, he decides to use the computer within the dome. In the meantime, Dornaus had spotted the Hyenas moving towards Pride Rock, further proving his suspicion that Scar was behind the death of Mufasa. He moves behind a boulder and silently kills a Hyena with his knife. He takes out another not long after, then another, then another, all without being spotted.

In fact, it was only after he had left a trail of fifteen bodies that the Hyenas begin to realize something was up. And now, the real fun began. As soon as he was spotted, the human unleashes a hail of bullets and guns down the Hyenas as they charged towards him. Their tactic of trying to overwhelm him with superior numbers was not working to well, especially since they chose to attack directly than with flanking maneuvers.

Standing beside Scar, Shenzi and Ed quickly spot their fellow brethren being cut down by the human's superior firepower. They wanted to help but Scar stops them, reasoning they would eventually overwhelm him with numbers. His prediction was right, it just didn't seem obvious at first. The first wave of Hyenas were wiped out as Sarabi and the rest of the lionesses watched in surprise.

Dornaus reaches the top of Pride Rock and trains his gun on Scar, who turns to face him. The event unfolds in full view of the lionesses as lightning flashed in the sky. Zazu lands near Nala's feet and joins the others as they watched on.

 **"** **Scar, I am hereby enacting martial law by force."** The human spoke. **"Your orders are to step down."**

 **"** **What if I don't?"** he said in a devilish voice.

 **"** **Then I have no choice but to gun you down."** Dornaus glares at Shenzi and Ed. **"And if Shenzi and Ed decide they want to play your game well then… I shall unleash hell on them too."**

 **"** **A word of advice, human. Think before you speak."**

A lightning bolt illuminates the area behind Pride Rock, revealing a massive pack of Hyenas.

 **"** **Like I said, when it comes to brains I have the lion's share."** Scar reminds. **"I'm not dumb enough to use a small army to stop you from wreaking havoc."**

Suddenly the tables have turned. The massive pack of Hyenas commence their attack on the human as he began a fighting retreat. They use their sheer numbers to force him towards the canyon, but not before suffering heavy casualties. In the end however, the human finds himself in the same position as Simba, who he also thought was dead. By now he had expended his ammunition and his sidearm didn't offer enough firepower to take down the Hyenas all at once.

Shenzi and her massive army lick their chops and slowly advances on Dornaus, who glares at the sheer drop. He smiles, confusing the Hyenas.

 **"** **You should be scared."** Shenzi spoke. **"Why are you smiling?"**

 **"** **Because I've been in this situation before."** He answers. **"Bullets or broken bones. Or in this case, canines or broken bones. Bones heal."**

Before the Hyenas could act, Dornaus throws himself off the ledge. He smashes against the side of the cliff several times and disappears through the forest of thorns. At first the Hyenas thought he might've gone the same way Simba did but a wall of bullets suddenly appears out of nowhere after a brief pause. The human wasn't ready to quit just yet and he had replenished his ammunition supply with the spares in his backpack.

In a blink of an eye, Shenzi had just lost six more of her troops to the human gunfire. Enraged, she sends a few more down via a path which led down into the forest. It was easy to traverse but left the Hyaenids vulnerable to gunfire. All five of them were gunned down as they tried their best to reach the bottom. It was a lopsided battle for Shenzi and even she knew it was dumb to send more men down.

She orders the survivors to return home to Scar with the fake news that Dornaus had died. Down in the forest of thorns, the human gets back onto his feet. Miraculously, he survived the fall without a single bone being broken. The only indications that he had fallen were the scuff marks on his hand and legs. While he was an explorer, Dornaus had never been this far out in the Savannah before and he had no idea where to go.

Instinct told him to get as far away from the Pridelands as possible and he starts trekking in the opposite direction. As he walked, the human made a vow deep down within his heart to return when the time was right and reclaim the throne from the dictator. For now however, Dornaus prepares to experience something he never did before; a life of exile in the African Savannah, far away from the city.

He could've gone back to the city but for some reason he didn't. Maybe it's because deep down inside, Dornaus never accepted the fact that Simba was dead. He had seen Mufasa's body while being chased by the Hyenas and actually used it as a defensive position in a vain effort to cut them down to a manageable size. Simba on the other hand was nowhere in sight.

His body was nowhere near that of his father's, which should've been the case since Scar had claimed the young one died with his father in the stampede.


	9. Reunited

**Chapter 8  
Reunited**

Somewhere in the deeper regions of the Savannah, a Meerkat and a Warthog indulge in their morning breakfast. The two, who went by the name of Timon and Pumbaa, had achieved their goal of "Hakuna Matata", which was translated into English as no worries or no problem. And it wasn't just in theory either. The two were the only ones living in the massive and lush jungle. No predators stalked them and it was literally the Great Valley in the 21st century, with lush greenery and an endless supply of water from a massive waterfall.

Mother Nature has strange ways of showing its true powers. On one side was the jungle where Timon and Pumbaa lived while on the other was barren desert. There wasn't even a slow transition in the middle area between the two sides. It was just forest on one side and desert on the other. The two friends were relaxing at their usual spot, a small pond near the edge of the forest.

Unbeknownst to the two, they were about to have company very soon. Near the edge of the waterfall, Dornaus rises from the water Navy SEAL style. He sweeps his gun from left to right as he scans the area for threats before leaving the water. All was quiet apart from the usual sounds of insects and chirping birds. The human closes his eyes and takes in the sound, feeling serenity and peace.

By now his head gear had changed considerably to fit with the changing environment. The Night Vision equipped FAST helmet had been tossed into the backpack and was replaced with a Boonie hat since it better protected him from the elements. For a few minutes, the human stayed in his crouching position near the water's edge, relaxing himself after the long trek.

Once he was done, Dornaus gets back onto his feet and continues into the jungle. With experience gained from on and off the battlefield(he was an avid hunter and frequented the woods), the human knew foliage was a predator's best friend. Heck, they even taught him how to use cover to his advantage during training and he was a predator too; one which hunted insurgents and terrorists.

Dornaus gets behind a thick piece of foliage and without disturbing it, he pokes the barrel of his rifle through. Carefully, he sweeps it side to side, trying to scan for targets with the aid of the EOTech magnifier mounted on his gun. Not a rustle or a sound. Despite this, his gut told him something lived in the jungle and his suspicions are proven further when he notices fresh tracks on the jungle floor.

He decides to follow his instincts and stay where he was, readying himself to ambush whatever was living here should it pass by and identify as a predator. Meanwhile Pumbaa had gone back into the jungle to get a coconut like fruit, which contained fluids inside that could rehydrate someone quickly and/or counter fever. Every now and then the warthog would fart due to his flatulence problem.

And it was the stench of his fart which alerts the human to his presence. As he got close to the bush, Dornaus could smell the stench of flatulence and he quickly covers his nose to prevent himself from fainting. It didn't take long before he found Pumbaa, the source of the god awful stench, and the human wasn't too keen on meeting warthogs out in the wild since he knew of their aggressive nature when placed on the defensive.

 **"** **Don't move a muscle."** He emerges from his piece of cover, rifle level with his target.

 **"** **Oookay…"** Pumbaa answers. He apparently forgets the human's command and turns around, causing him to act defensively.

 **"** **WHAT DID I SAY?"**

 **"** **Easy easy, I mean no harm."**

Dornaus sighs in relief and lowers his rifle. **"Okay, tell me then, warthog. What in the name of god are you doing in a forest like this?"**

 **"** **My friend Timon and I live here. And my name's not Warthog. It's Pumbaa."**

 **"** **Call me Dornaus."**

 **"** **Dorn-what?"**

 **"** **Dornaus. D-O-R-N-A-U-S, Dornaus."**

 **"** **Ah, pleased to meet you Dornaus."**

 **"** **Pleased to meet you too, Pumbaa. Tell me, why does someone like you live in a forest like this with a friend?"**

 **"** **I'm an outcast."**

 **"** **Outcast? Why?"**

 **"** **You already smelled the reason."**

 **"** **Ah, the farts. Anyways, who's this Timon guy? He a warthog too?"**

 **"** **Nope, he's a Meerkat."**

 **"** **A Meerkat and a Warthog living together, now that's something you don't get to see every day."**

 **"** **And what about you?"**

 **"** **Oh me? I'm a creature you guys rarely see out here; a human."**

 **"** **Human?! I knew it! You guys do exist!"**

 **"** **Wouldn't be surprised if someone didn't believe you."**

 **"** **And that someone is Timon. Speaking of him, I think we might need your help."**

 **"** **Why so?"**

 **"** **Timon and I found a young lion cub. He's guarding it and sent me out here to get some juice."**

 **"** **Take me to him, I might be able to work some magic."**

The warthog nods and takes his newfound human companion into the forest. With a guide with him, Dornaus worried less about getting lost and took the time to admire the surroundings as he trekked. With an educated guess, he deduced that Timon and Pumbaa were the only ones living here, given the little amount of natural deforestation within this paradise of the Savannah.

When they emerged from the foliage, Dornaus spots and quickly runs over to the unconscious lion cub while Timon looks on in shock. He never expected that the Warthog's theory that humans exist would be true, given the fact that he had never seen one himself and loved to base fact on the things he saw. The human on the other hand, paid little attention to the two.

He retrieves a canteen from his backpack and slowly pours water onto the cub's face. Driven by instinct, he opens his mouth and begins to gulp the water as it trickled down. The human takes note of the action and moves the bottle over to the youngling's mouth to make it easier for him to drink. Once he had enough, the cub opens his eyes and looks his savior in the eye.

 **"** **Thanks…"** he said weakly.

 **"** **You're welcome, young prince."** Dornaus smiles.

 **"** **Young prince… Wait, have we met before?"**

 **"** **If the name Dornaus rings any bells then yes."**

Before he knew what was going on, the human finds himself tackled to the ground. The cub wasn't just any old cub; he was Simba. Thought to be dead by everyone, he was now reunited with the bodyguard of his late father. It was comforting to know that while he might not be able to be with his family, he was at least with someone he knew and trusted. A familiar face was better than not.

Of course Dornaus wasn't Simba's true savior. He merely stumbled upon the scene while living his own life of Exile. The ones responsible for saving his life were Timon and Pumbaa. They had spotted the young prince when he collapsed due to exhaustion and scared away circling Vultures before taking him to safe heaven. And even without knowledge of the bodyguard's presence, the two made every possible effort to help the youngling.

* * *

Day by day, the newcomers to the jungle began to understand the meaning of "Hakuna Matata". They've forgotten about their past and focused on starting a new life with Timon and Pumbaa. Their friendship grew day by day as they had new adventures and tried new things in the woods, like white water rafting down a small rapid leading from the waterfall and taking a bath in what appeared to be a hot spring pool.

They also cooked up a game of their own, which they named "Stalker". It was essentially a game of tag with stealth elements to it. One of them would be the stalker and his job was to "hunt down" the others as they tried to evade him. Whenever the stalker found his prey, he could either get close and tap the target or throw rocks at him if he didn't feel comfortable sneaking.

It was a great game to play in the woods, given the large amount of places for the "prey" to hide while the "stalker" hunted. The game was also a great way to hone their skills in stalking and evasion in the event that they were stumbled upon by predators. Of course, like any other game, things can take a turn for the unexpected at times, and when that happened, giggle fests would start.

For instance, on one occasion, Timon was the stalker and he had actually located everyone but Dornaus. High and low he searched for the former serviceman but still, there was no sign of him. Even Simba's sense of smell couldn't aid him in the search. Finally he decides to check the human's preferred bugout location, which he called the "SEAL's Den".

Located near the water's edge, it was well concealed by foliage and allowed the human to quickly escape by swimming under the water in the event his position was compromised. In any case, Timon went to the den hoping to find his last target but suddenly found himself quite literally netted. Target fixation caused the Meerkat to lose situational awareness and he failed to see the net trap laid out near the den.

Amusingly enough, Dornaus wasn't even near SEAL's Den when Timon got himself in the net and he only went there after hearing his cries for help.

Slowly, the days turn into weeks, weeks into months, and months into years. Before long, Simba became an adolescent lion and began to show his true appetite. When Timon challenged him to a snail slurping challenge, which the Meerkat claimed to be the greatest at, the lion triumphed over him. And now even Timon realized, it wouldn't be long before the cub he knew would grow into an adult lion.


	10. Can You Feel The Love Tonight

**Chapter 9  
Can You Feel The Love Tonight**

It was early in the morning. Dornaus was fast asleep underneath a tree. This was one of the few times where he decided to sleep through instead of waking up early since he felt the need for a good rest. Simba and the others were up already but they figured they would leave the human alone and continue about their daily business. Timon was off feeding on insects while Simba was near the water's edge, honing the art of fishing he learnt from his father's bodyguard.

Pumbaa on the other hand was after a dung beetle. He had been hunting the darn thing since 7am and hadn't any luck catching the creature after chasing it from the edge of the water to the edge of the jungle. Alas, the beetle lands on a log. The warthog rears up and charges towards the log. He smashes the thing to pieces in the process of catching the beetle but fails to catch anything apart from pieces of wood.

Unbeknownst to him, he was being watched by a lioness. She was a member of the Pridelands hunting party and had wandered this far to search for a new source of protein after the lush greenery gave way to famine under Scar's brutal dictatorship. Pumbaa suddenly feels something watching him and turns towards the tall grass. To his horror, he finds himself staring face to face with the lioness.

 **"** **Uhh…"** he nervously turns. **"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!"**

The fight or flight response within him kicks into gear and Pumbaa runs for his dear life as the lioness began her pursuit. Both of them run past Dornaus, jolting him awake as they smashed through a nearby log. Instinct told the human something was up and he springs into action, rifle raised and moving after the two. Deeper inside the jungle, Timon had also heard his friend's desperate cry for help.

He follows the sound and finds Pumbaa running towards him. The warthog attempts to escape underneath a tree root but jams himself in instead. Timon, a little surprised that his friend would be running scared, looks over. His eyes immediately widen in horror when he saw the lioness approaching Pumbaa and he jumps down, pushing on the warthog's butt in an attempt to free him.

Just as all hope seemed lost, Simba leaps from behind the root and attacks the lioness. The big cats begin to scuffle as Pumbaa and Timon breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe having an adult lion around them wasn't so bad after all. Unexpectedly and rather embarrassingly for the lion, he found himself being dominated by the lioness as she pins him under her weight. What caught his attention was the fact that the lioness used the same flip-n-pin tactic Nala used on him when he was younger.

And come to think of it, her face did resemble Nala in a way. Was this his long lost female friend?

 **"** **Nala?"** he said in surprise.

The lioness releases her male counterpart and moves back. **"Who are you?"**

 **"** **It's me, Simba."**

 **"** **Simba…"**

A familiar face flashes in front of Nala's face as she took a good look at the lion. She began to smile and before they knew it, the two were rejoicing. They've missed each other dearly after years of separation, Nala especially since she believed Scar's words and thought her male counterpart was dead. Just then, Dornaus emerges from the foliage with his rifle raised.

He was a little concerned when he saw Pumbaa being chased by something and was quite surprised to see a now adult Nala with Simba. So much for being threatened by predators.

 **"** **Now if that isn't a familiar face."** He smiles as he lowers his gun.

 **"** **Dornaus?"** Nala responds with surprise. **"You're alive too?"**

 **"** **Shenzi and her pups were this close to getting me, but they still failed."**

 **"** **Pups? That's an understatement! She had an army after you."**

 **"** **Yeah, I know young lady. I had a choice, broken bones or canines."**

 **"** **And?"**

 **"** **I chose broken bones."**

 **"** **You seem fine."**

 **"** **Let's just say a miracle happened after I cannonballed off a fucking cliff."**

 **"** **Still haven't lost your habit huh?"**

 **"** **Cursing will always remain a part of my life."** Dornaus glares at Simba and winks. **"I shall get going. You two need some alone time."**

The human gets back on his feet and disappears back through the foliage. Simba turns towards his female counterpart and is surprised to see a saddened expression on her face.

 **"** **What is it?"** he asks.

 **"** **It's like you're back from the dead."** She answers. **"You don't know how much this will mean to everyone."** The lioness turns away. **"What it means to me."**

 **"** **Hey… It's okay."**

 **"** **I've really missed you."**

 **"** **I've missed you too."**

The big cats nuzzle each other lovingly as they seemingly fall for each other. From behind thick foliage, Timon watches in displeasure with Pumbaa by his side. In his mind, once the lions fall for each other, Simba would ditch him and Pumbaa and return to the Pridelands. But what could he do? He was just a Meerkat while Simba was… A lion. He could only watch helplessly as the two began their stroll through the woods.

What caught them off guard was Dornaus' sudden reappearance. In true southern fashion, he was playing a guitar, a half scale version he threw in his bag for no good reason. To rile up the romantic mood, he plays a familiar tune and one of his favorite love songs titled "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" from a short distance away as the lions start to bond with each other.

Both of them make their way down a path and walk underneath a waterfall. Nala walks over to the opposite bank and begins to quench her thirst while Simba does the same on his side. But he didn't drink too much, for the lion had much to think. He eyes his female counterpart, wondering whether or not to reveal his secret to her. She notices his gesture and raises her head to glare at him.

Simba merely smiles in response and proceeds to move behind Nala, who was clearly confused. Without warning, he swings over the water on a vine and plunges in. The lioness moves over to the water's edge in an attempt to locate her male counterpart. She sees bubbles on the surface but before she knew what was going on, he pulled her into the water as well.

She surfaces and climbs back onto the rock, gasping for air; Simba comes after her. Now having realized that the lion was most likely in love with her, she returns the favor and pushes him into the water to tease him. They chase each other across a plain within the lush jungle and have a friendly "brawl" back in the jungle. Before they knew what was going on, they tumble down a slope.

Once they reached the bottom, there was a slight twist. This time Simba was on top and Nala was being pinned by him. Both of them smile. Then, the lioness licks her male counterpart in the cheek, much to his surprise. He turns towards her and noticed the smile of affection. He smiles back and the two nuzzle each other heartwarmingly. Nearby, Timon and Pumbaa watched the scene unfold while Dornaus continued to play the song.

At the final leg of the song, the urge to sing got to the former serviceman.

Dornaus: (sings)  
 _And can you feel the love tonight  
How it's laid to rest  
It's enough  
To make kings and vagabonds  
Believe the very best_

 _It's enough  
To make kings and vagabonds  
Believe the very best_

 **"** **Wow, Dornie…"** Timon remarks. **"I didn't know you could sing."**

 **"** **I used to do it as a kid."** He answers. **"Besides, I've been waiting for a moment to sing that for a long time already."**

 **"** **You do realize what it means for our group of friends right?"**

 **"** **That's what you think, Timon. I'm sure Simba will be more than happy to let you into the Pridelands."**

Dornaus' words fail to cheer up Timon, who leaves with Pumbaa. Unfortunately for the lions and fortunately for the Meerkat, the love didn't last long. Barely a few seconds after their little public display of affection and the couple was already arguing. About what? Simba returning to the pride. While Nala was in favor of this, the disgraced former prince wasn't.

He had secrets he'd wished to keep a secret and returning would mean facing his past. On top of that, he still believed what his uncle told him; that he was responsible for the death of his father. Both of them separate near a fallen log spanning a river after a heated exchange, with Simba running off into the plains and Nala returning to the forest. Timon was quite pleased when he saw the separation but Pumbaa and Dornaus felt disappointed that the love didn't last for more than just one night.

 **"** **Nala."** The human said. **"We need to talk."**


	11. He Lives In You

**Chapter 10  
He Lives In You**

Nala was at a loss for words. She never thought her male counterpart would believe that he was responsible for the death of his own father. Sure Scar might've told him that but how could he possibly believe the estranged younger brother of the king? Unlike Simba, Dornaus blurted everything he knew and even the secrets Simba wished to keep untold. He didn't want to see the son of his former Commander-In-Chief live the rest of his life trying to run away from his past.

But getting Simba to stop running from his past wasn't the only goal the human had in mind. He wanted the prince to go back to the Pridelands and reclaim the throne that was stolen from him by his uncle; a goal which Nala echoed. It was easier said than done, especially since the lion was reluctant to return and had run off after an argument with his female counterpart.

All the two could do was wait and hope that the lion would return to the jungle after venting his steam. Dornaus takes Nala over to the edge of the waterfall and decides to tell her a story. She had loved listening to his war stories during her cub days and always went to him with Simba whenever they felt bored after playing a few games. Today however, the human wasn't talking about the time he dropped into an enemy camp and mowed down an entire enemy battalion(sarcasm intended). He wanted to touch on something much closer to home.

Family was the theme of today's story and the main character wasn't Dornaus, but his late father Dean. Dean served in the United States Marine Corps and was sent into action during Operation Desert Storm.

 **"** **You two have quite a different background."** The lioness remarks. **"One is just an average grunt while the other is a commando."**

 **"** **My dad told me before he went to war that he wasn't the Special Forces guy."** Dornaus answers. **"He said he just wanted to serve and do his bit."**

 **"** **You referred to him as your "late father" at times. I'm not trying to be insensitive or anything but… How did he err…"**

 **"** **I'll tell you how he got killed…"**

* * *

 ** _December 1 2004. Fallujah, Iraq_**

Heavy firefight erupts in the streets of the already war torn Iraqi city as American forces battle it out with the local insurgents. Bullets whizzed all around as civilians caught in the crossfire run for their lives. The Americans wanted payback after the insurgents had killed four Private Military Contractors before burning their bodies and hanging them on a bridge crossing the Euphrates River.

Among the combatants on the allied side was Dean Mason. He was part of a USMC unit operating in the city and had been on the move when his unit suddenly came under fire. The lead guy had been shot through the gut and their Lieutenant was a boot who had just been given his first assignment. Dean was a Staff Sergeant and while he wasn't the most senior in the unit, he was the most experienced.

He shoves the inexperienced Lieutenant aside and orders his men into defensive positions where they begin to pour effective fire in the area where the insurgents were. Darryl lays down suppressive fire with his SAW while Dean and the rest of the boys flanked around and hit their foes from the side. They easily crush the insurgents, who were nothing more than a bunch of rag tag monkey men with Kalashnikovs.

Suddenly a burst of .50 caliber fire causes the Marines to dive for cover. An insurgent gun truck had arrived on the scene and on the back of the truck was a Soviet-era DHSK heavy machine gun. Marty fires a 40mm grenade at the vehicle but misses. A bullet penetrates his chest before he could let off a second, mortally wounding him. The Marines were pinned and they needed support badly.

Fortunately for them, the Americans weren't dumb enough to just send infantry into the fight. The insurgent on the back of the truck swings his machine gun towards Dean but he didn't fire. His eyes widened in shock and he could only mutter the words "Allahu Akbar" weakly before the truck disintegrated into a million pieces. The Marines look over their shoulder and noticed a M2 Bradley behind them, firing its 25mm chain gun at the buildings up ahead.

Its TOW missile tubes were raised and one of em had been fired. With their morale boosted by the sight of a friendly armored vehicle, the devil dogs press on with their advance. They stack up on a door and breach, shooting several insurgents as they went inside the building. A kid emerges from his room, surprising Dean and causing him to turn his rifle towards him. Once he realized the child was no threat, he lowers his weapon.

 **"** **As for combatants go,"** he said. **"We're clear."**

The Staff Sergeant emerges from the door with his men as the Americans begin to march up the street. It seemed like the insurgents have begun their retreat and there might just be a chance that Dean would return to his family at the end of his deployment, which was already nearing the end. Without warning, a sniper's bullet penetrates his Interceptor Body armor and goes through his chest, center mass.

Everything around him starts to slow and the Staff Sergeant falls backwards onto the ground, blood blooming from his wound. Two of his men drag him back into the house where the medic tended to him while the other Marines got behind an M1A1 Abrams, which unleashed a HEAT round into the building where the sniper had fired from. He managed to cheat death and escaped from the burning building.

Unbeknownst to the Marines, this was the legendary Mustafa, the former Iraqi Olympic sharpshooter turned sniper mentioned in Chris Kyle's memoir American Sniper. Though he eluded death the first time round, he would later be killed by an American sniper(not Chris).

* * *

 **"** **My dad died instantly from his wound."** The human concludes his story. **"Nothing the medic did could bring him back to life."**

 **"** **Woah… That was quite a rollercoaster ride."** Nala bites her lips. **"Sorry, I might've been too insensitive."**

 **"** **It would be a rollercoaster ride for anyone who hasn't heard it. My dad's deployments were full of action."**

 **"** **Yours aren't too shabby either."**

 **"** **SEALs are silent professionals. We try to do our job without putting too much down range."**

 **"** **Ah, by the way. Who told you the story?"**

 **"** **Of my dad? Darryl did."**

 **"** **Darryl the SAW gunner?"**

 **"** **Yup."**

Dornaus glares at his own reflection in the water. **"But I realized that no matter what happens. Some people just won't leave you."**

 **"** **Let me guess. He lives in you."**

 **"** **Just like how Mufasa lives in Simba."**

Indeed the human was right. A few miles away from the jungle, Simba had reunited with Rafiki and the mandrill took him to a small pond within his cluster of trees. At first the prince could only see his own reflection but with a ripple, it changes to that of his late father. A cloud approaches the two and slowly transforms into that of a lion. Mufasa was back in spirit form, and he was disappointed with his son.

 **"** **Simba."** He spoke.

 **"** **Father?"** the prince responds.

 **"** **You have forgotten me."**

 **"** **No. How could I?"**

 **"** **You have forgotten who you are and so have forgotten me. Look inside yourself Simba. You're more than what you have become. You must take your place in the Circle of life."**

 **"** **How can I go back? I'm not who I used to be."**

 **"** **Remember who you are. You are my son and the one true king. Remember who you are."**

Simba notices the spirit of his father fading away. **"No! Please! Don't leave me!"**

 **"** **Remember…"**

 **"** **Father!"**

 **"** **Remember…"**

 **"** **Don't leave me!"**

No matter how much he pleaded, Mufasa never returned.

 **"** **What was that?"** Rafiki remarks. **"The weather. Very peculiar, don't you think?"**

 **"** **Yeah."** Simba answers. **"Looks like the winds are changing."**

 **"** **Ahh, change is good."**

 **"** **Yeah, but it's not easy. I know what I have to do but… Going back means I'll have to face my past. I've been running from it for so long."**

Without warning, Rafiki smacks the prince in the head with his stick.

 **"** **Ouch!"** he groans. **"Jeez! What was that for?"**

 **"** **It doesn't matter, it's in the past."** The mandrill replies with a chuckle.

 **"** **Yeah but it still hurts."**

 **"** **Oh yes the past can hurt. But the way I see it you can either run from it or… Learn from it."**

Rafiki swipes his stick at the lion again but this time he dodges by ducking down.

 **"** **Ah!"** he exclaims. **"You see? So what are you going to do?"**

 **"** **First."** Simba answers. **"I'm going to take your stick."** He grabs the stick from the Shaman and flings it away.

 **"** **No no no no no, not the stick!"** Rafiki notices Simba running off. **"Hey! Where are you going?"**

 **"** **I'm going back!"**

 **"** **Good! Go on! Get out of here!"**

As he watched the prince run in the direction of the Pridelands, the mandrill shouted in joy. Finally Simba was going back to reclaim a position that was supposed to be his. Now all he had to do was to rally the rest of the lion's friends.


	12. Battle Of Pride Rock

**Chapter 11  
Battle Of Pride Rock**

The sun had barely risen over the horizon but Dornaus and Nala were both awake. They have been informed about Simba's change of heart by Rafiki. Both of them were happy for the wrongfully disgraced prince and wanted to help out in any way. Issue was, they needed a lot more backup if they wanted to take on Scar's army of Hyenas. And with no one but Timon and Pumbaa to call upon, they needed something to equalize.

Well they had a pretty good one in mind; a machine gun. Thanks to high caliber contacts, the human had a small arsenal of military weapons similar to the ones he carried while in the service. One of them was his MK43 MOD 1 machine gun, which he kept in his dome structure in case the going got bad and he needed to defend the compound from attacking wildlife and/or rival factions.

There was just one small problem. Ever since he left the Pridelands, the compound had been occupied by Krieghoff, who may or may not be allied with Scar since he had a choice. Dornaus trusted he wouldn't do something like this, knowing a whistleblower chooses to expose the truth than to save his/her own skin. The three devise a plan of attack. While the human went to retrieve his heavy ordnance, Simba would lead the gang up to the rock to confront Scar.

Quite a logical idea, especially since all the sneaking was done by the one who did it as his job. Nala runs over to wake Timon and Pumbaa up while Dornaus performs a final gear check. It had been a few years since he used his gun in anger and he prayed that the bullets would not misfire or become duds. While the two waited, Nala was facing a bit of an issue getting the two to come along.

She had Pumbaa with her but Timon remained firm that he would stay, claiming Simba betrayed him and Pumbaa by running back to the Pridelands. In the end however, his selfishness gained him nothing and only left him in the jungle, alone and without a friend. Yes, even the Warthog decided to leave his Meerkat friend behind for the sake of helping another friend.

But while the others were united in the fight against Scar, they didn't necessarily move in one group. Instead Nala and the others took the path Simba took while Dornaus scaled the waterfall alone. Being a former DEVGRU Operative, he understood well the way of the SEALs, which was to destroy a foe at least twice the size of their own. And that meant using surprise and shock tactics to destroy the majority then slip away in the midst of the confusion.

When he reached the top, the human was shocked. Right in front of him were a bunch of Hyenas patrolling the area. He dives behind a boulder and analyses the situation; there were five of them and one of him. Dornaus nearly facepalmed himself when he realized that the forest was this close to the Pridelands all along and he could've taken the route of the falls instead of jumping off the edge.

But right now was not the time to judge his previous mistakes. He had five sentries to eliminate and he had to do so quietly so as not to draw any unwanted attention. Dornaus throws a spent casing into the distance, making a metallic ping. Three of the Hyenas are drawn away and he quickly shoots the two remainders with his suppressed carbine. When the three returned, their comrades were nowhere in sight and they started combing the area.

One by one, their throats were slit, silently. The patrol had been completely wiped out and Dornaus proceeds onwards. Back in the jungle, Timon begins to feel sad. He wonders why since he already found "Hakuna Matata". At least, that's what he thought. An image of his friends flashes in front the Meerkat and he finally realizes what Hakuna Matata really meant. It wasn't a place but a metaphor and for him to achieve Hakuna Matata, he needed to rejoin his friends.

He takes off from his "hammock" and literally zooms across the desert to catch up with the others, reconciling with Pumbaa en route. They all caught up with Simba near a rocky ledge which overlooked the Pridelands. He was very much surprised to see that Nala and his friends were there to do battle with him.

 **"** **What made you come back here?"** his female counterpart asked.

 **"** **I got some sense knocked into me."** He answers. **"Besides, this is my kingdom. If I don't fight for it then who will?"**

 **"** **I will."**

 **"** **It's going to be dangerous."**

 **"** **Danger? Hah! I laugh in the face of danger, hahahaha."**

 **"** **I see nothing funny about this."** Timon pipes up from behind the two.

 **"** **Timon?"** Simba turns around and sees both the Meerkat and his Warthog friend standing behind him. **"Pumbaa? What are you doing here?"**

 **"** **At your service buddy."** Pumbaa bows.

 **"** **Oh, we're gonna fight your uncle?"** the Meerkat groans as he saw the condition of the Pridelands, which was now nothing more than a wasteland. **"For this?"**

 **"** **Yes, Timon. This is my home."**

 **"** **Ahh, talk about your fixer upper. Well if it's important to you then it's important to us."**

 **"** **Not all of us apparently."** The warthog said. **"Dornaus isn't here."**

 **"** **Dornaus' won't abandon this place without a fight, Pumbaa."** Simba explains. **"He likes to work in the shadows."**

 **"** **And who told you that?"** his female counterpart asks.

 **"** **My father."**

* * *

Blood splatters all over the compound grounds as a Hyena's throat was slit. Dornaus continues sneaking through, silently killing the loyalists with his knife. He makes it to his shelter and finds that while Scar and the Hyenas have taken over, they never ransacked the place and everything was still in order. In fact, everything was well polished and cleaned as if someone had been living here during his exile.

Well it shouldn't come as a surprise really. Before he left, the human had given permission to the whistleblower he captured to use his compound as a base of operations. Weird thing is, he wasn't inside compiling the footage he captured. And if you thought the footage was already compiled, you'd be wrong. When Dornaus found the computer, he saw the pendrive still attached and only three out of the ten video clips were placed inside.

Where could Krieghoff be? He decides to search the compound and finds him locked away in, ironically, the same shack cell he'd been locked away before his departure. Dornaus removes the log used to lock the cell door and frees the whistleblower from his cage. He had been locked away only hours before after Scar figured out he was sympathetic to Simba and was leaking the horrible condition of the dictatorship to the outside world.

 **"** **Getting saved by the man who once imprisoned me."** He chuckles. **"How ironic."**

 **"** **The enemy of my enemy is my friend."** The former serviceman responds. **"Can you fight?"**

 **"** **I know my way around guns."**

 **"** **Well then come with me to the dome. We need some firepower if we want to deal with these buggers."**

 **"** **And what about my payment?"**

 **"** **Like I said, I'll pay you once we get rid of this bugger."**

The two humans return to the dome where they geared up for combat. Dornaus throws his HK416 aside and removes his Rhodesian Rig. He then puts on his heavy gunner rig and loads a fresh 80 round belt into his M60E4. To his left, Krieghoff inspects a MK12 SPR before slinging it over his shoulder. The whistleblower also packs a handgun for the mission; a MK25 pistol on loan from Dornaus' armory.

Both of them were now armed to the teeth and ready to do battle with Scar's Hyenas. They leave the compound and split up, with Krieghoff running off to join Nala and the others while Dornaus went somewhere else. While he would've loved extra support, the former serviceman had a much sneakier idea in mind. Deep down he wanted Krieghoff dead as well and to make it look like a friendly fire incident, he would use him as bait to lure the Hyenas towards him and gun everyone down.

In the meantime, the lionesses have gathered near Pride Rock under the orders of Scar. He wanted to have a word with Sarabi, the leader of the lionesses, after Shenzi and Ed complained to him about how the lionesses weren't going out on their usual hunts anymore.

 **"** **Sarabi!"** he bellows.

 **"** **Yes, Scar?"** the lioness asks as she ascended Pride Rock to greet the dictator.

 **"** **Where's your hunting party? They're not doing their jobs."**

 **"** **Scar, there is no food. The herds have moved on."**

 **"** **No! You're not looking hard enough."**

 **"** **It's over! There's nothing left. We have only one choice; we must leave Pride Rock."**

 **"** **We're not going anywhere!"**

 **"** **Then you have sentenced us to death."**

 **"** **Then so be it."**

 **"** **You can't do that!"**

 **"** **I'm the king! I can do whatever I want!"**

 **"** **If you were half the king Mufasa was, you…"**

Scar swipes his claw at Sarabi and knocks her unconscious. **"I'm TEN times the king Mufasa was!"**

Lightning suddenly flashes, accompanied by the sound of thunder. A snarling Simba is illuminated and a fire started. Since the lionesses haven't seen the prince in ages, they all thought their former leader Mufasa was back from the dead. In essence he was, for he lives on in a part of his son. Even Scar was taken aback when he saw the prince's return, mainly because he, like everyone else, thought the king was back.

He quickly regains his composure when he realized that "Mufasa" was in reality just a fully grown and matured Simba.

 **"** **Simba? Simba! It sure is a surprise to see you…"** He glares at his army of Hyenas. **"Alive."**

 **"** **Give me one good reason why I shouldn't rip you apart!"** the prince corners his uncle.

 **"** **Oh Simba, you must understand. The pressures of ruling a kingdom…"**

 **"** **Is no longer yours. STEP DOWN Scar."**

 **"** **Oh uh I would."** Scar chuckles nervously. **"But there is one little problem. You see them?"**

The dictator points upwards, revealing an entire army of hungry loyalist Hyenas who were more than willing to kill the prince. Out of sight of the Hyenas and the two lions, Krieghoff takes aim with his MK12 SPR. The two humans had multiband radios to communicate with each other and he was waiting for the go ahead from Dornaus.

 **"** **They think I'm king."** The dictator continues.

 **"** **Well we don't!"** Nala pipes up as the lionesses rally around her. **"Simba is the rightful king."**

 **"** **The choice is yours Scar. Either step down or fight!"** Simba growls.

 **"** **Oh must this all end in violence? I'd hate to be responsible for the death of a family member. Wouldn't you agree Simba?"**

 **"** **That's not gonna work, Scar. I've put it behind me."**

 **"** **Has it ever crossed your mind Simba if you faithful subjects put it behind THEM."**

 **"** **Actually we have."** Nala responds. **"Dornaus told us about the story."**

 **"** **Dornaus… I never knew…"**

 **"** **Only we know. Simba is not to blame!"**

 _ZAP_

Without warning, a bullet takes out one of the Hyenas, causing everyone to turn in the direction of the fallen creature in shock. From his sniper's position one hundred and fifty yards away, Krieghoff scans for new targets. He takes out a second and watched as blood blooms out from its wound as it fell off the ledge it was standing on. This was the first time the whistleblower had killed animals not on his menu, and he was quite good at it.

Maybe because he knew he had good bucks to earn at the end of the day and wanted to do his best to hopefully earn a bonus payment for his "service". Through the scope of his rifle, Krieghoff could see the Hyenas make their move. Despite his retarded mentality, Ed manages to locate the sniping position and informed Shenzi about it. Thinking Dornaus might've come back to look for a fight, she sends two thirds of her army towards the sniper. The remainders were her reserve and they would be used to fight the lionesses should they decide to enter the fray.

 **"** **Mako this is mother goose."** Krieghoff reported over the radio. **"I have flown the coop repeat I have flown the coop. Moving to your position over."**

 **"** **Mother goose this is Mako, copy."** Dornaus responds. **"Get your ass here as fast as possible, I have a fifty caliber surprise for them."**

 **"** **Roger that."**

 **"** **Man it feels good to be called by callsign again!"**

The Hyenas quickly lock on to their human target as he ran from cover. From afar, they looked like a Tsunami rapidly closing in on the lone victim. At the machine gun nest, Dornaus shoulders his M60E4, and readies himself for the massive Soviet Style wave attack. Krieghoff and the Hyenas soon emerge into view and the male human lets loose with his weapon.

Hundreds of 7.62 caliber bullets fill the air and shriek towards the Hyenas and their human target. Several rounds hit Krieghoff but dead he was not. Earlier he had worn body armor in preparation for a situation like this and friendly fire wasn't getting him anytime soon. He manages to outrun the Hyenas and brushes off the incident as he manned the GAU-19/B Gatling gun mounted on Dornaus' custom All Terrain Assault vehicle.

If the M60E4's assault wasn't bad enough already then this one would certainly wreak havoc among the ranks of the attackers. A literal wall of bullets tear down the Hyaenids within a matter of seconds and send blood splattering everywhere. Sometimes multiple bullets impacted the same target before they went down and their bodies were badly mutilated by the gunfire.

From her vantage point up on the ledge, Shenzi could only watch as the Hyenas under her command were brutally slaughtered. She never thought the human could bring so much firepower to bear on her army to balance the force of numbers. Though she wanted to stop her men from continuing the attack, she couldn't. Unlike Dornaus and Krieghoff, Shenzi lacked radios to communicate with her soldiers.

All of the Hyenas who attacked the machine gun nest that day were brutally slaughtered and the survivors were put to rest with mercy kills courtesy of the humans as they advanced. Dornaus attaches a fresh 100 round drum onto his machine gun and loads the belt into the feed tray before closing the top cover. Together with his former enemy, he moves in the direction of Pride Rock.

On top of Pride Rock, a battle was also raging, this time between the dictator and his challenger. Scar was clearly the weaker of the two. He couldn't handle Mufasa in his younger days and even if he was still young, he wouldn't be able to handle Simba either. Now with his age showing, the dictator was in no shape to fight, and he tried his best to avoid the confrontation by running.

Unfortunately for him, the prince wasn't giving up on regaining his position. He chases his uncle around the "royal palace" and the two end up back on Pride Rock. By now the fire, which had been raging ever since the lightning stuck and illuminated Simba, had completely engulfed the Pridelands and there were burning embers on the rock. Simba gives his uncle one final chance to step down.

 **"** **Simba…"** Scar nervously said. **"Please have mercy."**

 **"** **You don't deserve to live."** He responds.

 **"** **Well I uhh admittedly… Uhh, it was the Hyenas, who are the real enemy! It was their fault, I swear."**

 **"** **Why should I believe you?"** Simba approaches his uncle with great fury. **"Everything you told me was a lie."**

 **"** **What are you going to do? You wouldn't kill your own uncle."**

 **"** **No, Scar. I'm not like you."**

 **"** **Oh Simba, thank you. You're truly noble albeit up to that promise. Ah uh, how can I prove myself to you. Tell me, anything."**

 **"** **Run. Run away Scar! And never return."**

 **"** **Y-Yes, of course…"**

At first, Scar seemingly complies. Without warning he kicks the burning embers into his nephews face to gain an unfair advantage. The battle begins. Blinded by the embers, Simba had his ass handed to him in the opening stages. Once he got his sight back however, the tables quickly turn and the intensity of the battle increased dramatically. Both lions fought mano-e-mano with brute force, swiping each other with their clawed paws.

Scar manages to throw Simba onto the ground again. He leaps in the air, hoping to finish the job. But the prince had a tactic of his own, one which he saw Dornaus put to good effect against a human poacher during his younger days. Simba lifts his hind legs and kicks Scar, using momentum to send him over himself and down Pride Rock. He looks over the edge and saw his uncle being cornered by Shenzi, Ed and the surviving Hyenas under Shenzi's command.

 **"** **Oh, my friends…"** he nervously said.

 **"** **Friends?"** Shenzi chuckles evilly. **"I thought he meant we were the enemy. Ed?"**

Ed begins to cackle manically but his tone quickly switches to a darker one. The sound of other Hyenas could also be heard and Scar could see that the entire army was here. He instantly regrets saying what he said to Simba and begs for mercy. Shenzi of course, wasn't so forgiving like Simba. She was already pissed off that Scar's promise of endless food supplies was nothing more than words and the betrayal pushed her over the edge.

Before she could attack however, a burst of machinegun fire cuts her, Ed, and the surviving Hyenas down. Dornaus' M60E4 goes click as the bolt slammed home on an empty chamber. Behind him, Timon and Pumbaa were chatting with Zazu about Rafiki's talents as a Kung Fu master after watching him beat the hell out of five Hyenas dispatched by Shenzi to deal with Simba.

 **"** **Hwacha he goes!"** Timon does his best impression of the mandrill and his fighting style, which was similar to Bruce Lee's. **"And he whacks every single one of those idiots with his stick."**

 **"** **Not all."** Zazu corrects. **"He took out the first two with his bare hands."**

All three of them chuckle but they quickly fell silent. Simba, Sarabi, and Nala also approach the scene after a brief reunion. Krieghoff stood beside the former serviceman as he drew his sidearm.

 **"** **Dornaus…"** the ousted dictator pleads. **"Spare me, please."**

 **"** **I'm not Simba."** He replies. **"But I'm not you either."**

 _BANG_

 **"** **I'm your cold-bloodedness multiplied by ten."**

Everyone was in shock. They knew Dornaus was cold to his enemies but they never thought he would personally go close to one and kill him even when he begged to be spared. Actually there was another secret nobody knew of, and it happened high up in the mountains.


	13. A Bright Future

**Chapter 12  
A Bright Future**

 ** _March 23, 2011. Hindu Kush, Afghanistan_**

A team of five DEGRU Operatives found themselves faced with a Dilemma. A group of local goat herders have found them and were captured by the SEALs for the sake of not blowing the mission. There were three options to choose from. Option one was to release them and hope for the best, option two was to leave them here and be on their merry way, and option 3 was to kill them and bury their bodies.

Clearly one was the way to go, especially since it complied with ROEs. Unfortunately for the goat herders, Dornaus wasn't the type who followed the ROEs. Being the leader of the SEAL team gave him the power to choose and he shoves option one out the window, having read Marcus Luttrell's memoir Lone Survivor. He was still a young Lieutenant when he gave the order to kill. With suppressed pistols in hand, the men shot all the goat herders in the head.

The only consolation was the fact that they at least died quickly and painlessly. Not wanting to let the locals find the bodies, Dornaus and his men haul the dead up the mountain to a cave where they were buried deep within. Once the bodies were taken care of, the SEALs proceed down the mountain to continue their mission; capture or kill Lahti Salleh Abdullah, a high ranking Taliban Commander.

 **"** **Do not report what we did to the top brass, understood?"** he said. **"What we did here will remain a secret between us."**

 **"** **Repercussions sir?"** Blackburn asks

 **"** **More than that. We'll be forced into hiding with the amount of death threats we'll receive."**

 **"** **So we just zip?"**

 **"** **Yes. And should someone ask, which I'm sure they will since we reported about them when we took them in. Just tell them that we misidentified them as villagers when they were combatants. They wouldn't hear gunfire over the radio even if the statement is true and besides, we went silent for a long while."**

 **"** **Guys."** Another operative spoke. **"I think we oughta stay quiet. Village is up ahead."**

 **"** **Copy."** Dornaus gathers his men round him. **"Alright everyone, I want radio discipline. Use your radios only when you have to. We get this guy we get out. Stay frosty everyone, let's move."**

Nobody knew of the killing, not even the top Navy Brass since the incident went unreported as ordered by the young Lieutenant. In fact, when the villagers finally found the bodies after two years, the evidence was long gone and the case never went anywhere. None of the SEALs publicly revealed the killings for fear of repercussions and death threats. All of them with the exception of Blackburn and Dornaus were later killed in action during a botched operation rarely mentioned in US Navy Files.

And the only survivors; Dornaus and Blackburn, continued to keep this a secret. They had a lot to lose, including their Navy Career, Dornaus especially since he would be promoted to Lieutenant Commander within a few months.

* * *

Of course when he came to Africa, the former serviceman told no one about the killing. Like in the US, no one knew of the incident. Not even Krieghoff, who was a world renowned whistleblower. And now Dornaus was about to remove the final thorn to his side. He disengages the safety of his pistol and turns towards Krieghoff.

 **"** **Remember the payment I promised?"** he said.

 **"** **Yeah."** The whistleblower answered. **"And Scar's dead sooo…"**

 **"** **It's payday for you."**

 _BANG BANG_

 _BANG_

It was a classic Mozambique drill performed by Dornaus; two to the chest and one to the head. This was certainly not the type of "payday" Krieghoff was expecting. His payment of cash turned out to be .45 caliber bullets which weren't even worth fifty dollars. The lions, Pumbaa, and Timon glare at him in shock. Who was he going to kill next?

 **"** **Don't look at me like that."** He said. **"I killed Scar because I owed Mufasa a great favor for not being by his side when shit went down. Killing Krieghoff on the other hand was to save my own skin. Some secrets are best kept untold."**

 **"** **Question is, did it warrant such action?"** Simba asked. This was the first time he used the word "warrant" and he greatly impresses the human.

 **"** **Now you're speaking like a king, Simba. And yes, it was justified. I've been on the bad side multiple times before and there are some things best left untold. You might be forgiving but the masses won't."**

 **"** **What did he want anyways?"**

 **"** **Fifty thousand dollars every month or he would leak the documents."**

 **"** **What documents?"**

 **"** **Classified. I don't care if you're the king or the President Of the United States of America, it's classified."**

 **"** **And you won't talk."**

 **"** **Nope."**

 **"** **Fair enough then."**

A light shower extinguishes the flames created by the lightning. By now what was left of the Pridelands was in ashes and the area looked more barren than ever. It was the polar opposite of what the Pridelands once was, a lush Savannah with greenery spanning for miles on end. Even so, Simba never lost hope for his former home. He hears the sound of Rafiki's rattle attached stick and turns towards him.

The Mandrill gestures towards the top of Pride Rock; it was time for the inauguration of the new king. Simba climbs to the top, accompanied by his father's bodyguard Dornaus. When he reached the top, he keeps proceeding towards the edge while the human stood behind at full attention. While it would've been more formal if he wore his Navy Dress Blues and had his polished and M1 Garand, the machinegun and battle gear did fine as a stand in.

Mufasa returns for his son's inauguration, evidenced by the fact that there was a clearing in the storm clouds which was in the shape of the late king.

 **"** **Remember."** He reminds his son.

Simba roars, signaling to the others that he has reclaimed the kingdom. Sarabi, Nala, and the rest of the lionesses roar back to indicate their approval of the new king. Zazu, Timon, and Pumbaa were at a loss for words and their jaws were wide open. They never imagined the day that the young prince, once forced into exile by his uncle, would reclaim the throne and become the new king of the Pridelands.

The king turns back towards Dornaus and approaches the bodyguard of his late father. Now that he was the new king, he would become a prime target for those seeking to overthrow him. And he needed someone to protect him; someone he could trust.

 **"** **Dornaus."** He said.

 **"** **At your service, your honor."** The human salutes.

 **"** **You're hired."**

 **"** **For a second I thought you were going to say "You're fired"."**

Both of them share a chuckle as they headed back down to join the others. There was much work to do, and the most important was to get rid of anyone sympathetic with Scar. That would be Zira and her pride. Zira was the wife of Scar and had hoped to see her first born child become the new king after her husband. Unfortunately for her, she didn't even have the chance to conceive a cub before Scar was killed.

Zira and her group refused to leave the Pridelands, believing the place to rightfully theirs and not Simba's. Not even the threat of a full scale confrontation could scare her, given the small pride she commanded. In fact, she didn't move until Dornaus shown up. He had replenished his ammunition and the belt could be seen on his machine gun, loaded and ready to go.

 **"** **This is your final warning, Zira."** The human smiles coldly. **"You wouldn't want to end up like your husband now, would you?"**

 **"** **So you are cold…"** she hissed. **"Fine then, I'll leave. But mark my words, I shall return."**

 **"** **What are you Douglas McArthur now?"**

 **"** **Doesn't matter. What matters is, I shall return."**

Without further words, Zira leads her pride away from the Pridelands. The rebel group had been dealt with, now it was just a matter of waiting.

Slowly but surely, the lush greenery begins to return to the Pridelands, restoring it to its former glory. And now the animals were gathered once again for the presentation of Simba and Nala's firstborn cub; Chaka. And exactly like the presentation of Simba, Dornaus was present. The only difference was that he was in his Navy Dress Blues and had a M1 Garand placed on his left shoulder, stock supported by his left hand.

For the Pridelanders, their times of glory has returned and the future looked brighter than ever before. Finally, they have a king who could rightfully call himself that; Simba.


End file.
